Market Intelligence: -Training Aircraft Developments

Elixir Aircraft Starts Deliveries for Leading Edge Aviation

United Kingdom and Spain – Elixir Aircraft has delivered the first of five aircraft ordered by UK school Leading Edge Aviation for its Spanish base. The contract, a three-way deal with aircraft rental company Green Aerolease, was signed in October 2024.

Following an in-depth market study, Leading Edge Aviation, one of Europe’s leading flight schools, has chosen Elixir Aircraft to renew its fleet of 21 aircraft.

This first delivery follows the contract signed in October 2024. The aircraft will join the Alhama base in Murcia (Spain).

This order, which brings the number of aircraft in Elixir Aircraft’s order book to over 300, has also led to the launch of a rental offer in partnership with Green Aerolease.

This offer, which facilitated the transaction with Leading Edge Aviation, allows professional schools interested in the Elixir to acquire their aircraft through an “all included” rental service (aircraft itself, insurance and maintenance).

About Elixir Aircraft­
Elixir Aircraft is a French aircraft manufacturer founded in 2015 to meet the challenges of global light aviation. Based in La Rochelle, it has over 150 employees and is recruiting massively. Elixir Aircraft designed and has been building a 4th-generation two-seater aircraft, certified EASA CS-23 since 2020. Elixir Aircraft uses technology from the world of competitive sailing, the “Carbon Oneshot” (in one piece), to simplify structures. More simplicity means fewer failures, so greater safety, but also less maintenance, and lower costs (estimates of savings of $50/h fuel and maintenance). At the end of 2021, Elixir Aircraft opened a new production site in Périgny, Charente Maritime, to bring production of all carbon parts in-house.

There are 30 Elixir aircraft currently in operation, with over 300 of the 4th-generation Elixir aircraft on the order book (firm orders, pre-orders and letters of intent). In June 2023, the French President announced a 13-million euro subsidy for Elixir Aircraft. In early 2024, Elixir Aircraft announced the closing of its development financing for the next 5 years, with a budget of 40 million euros. Elixir Aircraft is preparing to open a new 15,000 m2 facility in La Rochelle and another in Sarasota, Florida.

Source: Elixir Aircraft

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Italian Flight Training Provider, Aero Club Catania, Expands 2025 Fleet with 2 Tecnam P2008JC

Capua, Italy – Tecnam and AERO CLUB CATANIA announced the delivery for two (2) Tecnam P2008JC single engine two-seater aircraft. These new aircraft will be used for ab-initio training and keep the high standards of the school.

This new acquisition will innovate AERO CLUB CATANIA fleet, standardise the fleet and increase ATO capacity. This new and significant investment is part of AERO CLUB CATANIA commitment to ensure that future commercial pilots are trained on modern aircraft such as the wide range of Tecnam models.

AERO CLUB CATANIA, based on international airport  Catania–Fontanarossa, also known as Vincenzo Bellini Airport, on the slopes of volcano Etna,already has a P2006T, P2002JF and P92JS in its fleet and the ATO has also a certified simulator to train the hundreds prospecting  pilots serving the world’s leading carriers. One of the reasons for this choice, apart from the excellent fuel consumption, is the excellent safety record and the lowest CO2 emissions, making the Tecnams the aircraft of choice for students and flight schools.

Filippo  Papale, President at AERO CLUB CATANIA, said: “Our relationship with Tecnam goes beyond that of a typical vendor and customer. Since choosing Tecnam in 2003, we have become part of the Tecnam family, growing together and working to make flying in Italy more accessible and safe.”

“We are honored that AERO CLUB CATANIA has chosen our aircraft for its expansion. This collaboration underscores our commitment to providing students with a modern, technologically advanced training platform, essential for navigating today’s complex airline environment. Tecnam aircraft serve as a vital bridge, ensuring a seamless transition into professional aviation,” said Giovanni Pascale Langer. Tecnam’s Managing Director

Tecnam Green Fleet.  Tradition, innovation and vision. These factors are taking Tecnam to new horizons. Based on recent data and industry benchmarks, Tecnam offers the greenest training fleet in the world. Flight schools using Tecnam’s single and twin engine fleet can save up to 10 tonnes of CO2 emissions for each student who completes a Commercial Pilot Licence – a 60% reduction compared to a fleet using 100LL fuel across 155 flight hours, including 30 hours in a twin.

About AERO CLUB CATANIA
The Aero Club of Catania was founded in 1934 by a group of enthusiasts who had already been flying a few private planes over the Catania-Fontanarossa airport since the 1920s. With the only brief interlude of the years of the Second World War, the Aero Club of Catania has always worked to promote aviation culture also through an efficient Flight School that has now reached levels of undisputed professionalism to the point of becoming one of Italy’s major training realities.

About TECNAM; “Quality Aircraft since 1948”
Tecnam is an Italian aircraft manufacturer and one of the world’s leading piston aircraft manufacturers. Founded in 1948 by brothers Luigi and Giovanni Pascale, the company is headquartered in Capua, Italy, and operates two subsidiaries in Sebring, Florida, USA, and Brisbane, Australia, to serve and support the needs of local Tecnam owners and operators. Tecnam designs and manufactures a wide range of aircraft for personal use, commercial operations, business travel, flight training, surveillance, law enforcement and other specialised applications.

Source: Tecnam
Photo Credit: Tecnam

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Scotland’s Rubric Aviation Welcomes New Elixir Aircraft for Flight Operations

Scotland – Rubric Aviation has taken delivery of its new Elixir aircraft in La Rochelle, France, marking a significant milestone for Scotland and Elixir Aircraft. Rubric Aviation, will fly Elixir Aircraft for its Scottish center, the Fife Flight Centre at Fife Airport, Scotland.

About Rubric Aviation
Rubric Aviation is a Scotland-based aviation company specializing in flight training and aircraft operations.

Source: Rubric Aviation
Photo Credit: Rubric Aviation

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Portugal’s OMNI Aviation Training Center Welcomes First Diamond DA42 Under Airways Aviation Partnership

Cascais, Portugal – OMNI Aviation Training Center has received its first new Diamond DA42 aircraft following the announcement of its strategic partnership with Airways Aviation in January 2025. The partnership combines OMNI’s expertise in aviation training with Airways Aviation’s global resources.

“This marks the beginning of a new era for OMNI. After enhancing the tools in the theory department, this year will be dedicated to modernizing our fleet through a strategic partnership with Airways Aviation, taking a significant step forward in improving our training capabilities.” – Captain Dylan van Haasen, OATC Chief Flight Instructor.

The landmark agreement with Airways Aviation will usher in a Portuguese based alliance designed to enhance the already impressive pilot training capacity and facilities for EASA ATPL and Cabin Crew Training (CCT) along with various Airline Cadet, MPL and Military Flight Training Programs already being delivered by Airways Aviation across Europe.

The new alliance will be known as Airways Aviation OMNI and operate from both Ponte de Sor and Cascais airports. Staged enhancements to both locations will commence in January with the delivery of new Diamond DA40 and DA42 aircraft in quick succession with a total fleet of 10 units expected to be positioned between Cascais and Ponte de Sor over coming four months.

Source: OMNI Aviation Training Center
Photo Credit: OMNI Aviation Training Center

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Diamond Aircraft Acquires Germany based eVTOL Developer Volocopter

Germany – Diamond Aircraft Industries, based in Wiener Neustadt, Austria, has integrated Volocopter with the company headquarter remaining in Bruchsal, Germany.

Diamond Aircraft is a subsidiary of Wanfeng Aircraft Division of Wanfeng Auto Holding Group Co., Ltd., and is an internationally renowned general aircraft manufacturer with over four decades of expertise operating internationally. The company’s reorganization of Volocopter will broadens its aircraft and business portfolio into the field of electric urban air transportation, while enabling Volocopter to reduce costs, retain a highly motivated and skilled workforce, and focus on achieving its certification milestones by 2025. The VoloCity, along with its next-generation variants and other models, will continue to evolve successfully over the long term, contributing significantly to the sustainable growth of the aviation industry.

Bin Chen, Chairman of Diamond Aircraft Group states: “The future of aviation is shaped by visionaries. Diamond’s broad portfolio is further strengthened by Volocopter, the VoloCity, and future models. Together, we are creating the foundation to further develop sustainable air mobility and strengthen Europe as an innovation hub in aviation.”

Tobias Wahl, insolvency administrator and partner at Anchor Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH, added, “Volocopter’s expertise and highly motivated team have consistently set benchmarks in the eVTOL industry. With Diamond Aircraft, we have found a strong strategic partner who will bild on this foundation. My special thanks go to the employees for their spirit and commitment. I am grateful that the team can carry on with their impactful work in the European economy.”

Source: Volocopter

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Turkish Airlines Flight Academy Expands Fleet with 50th Aircraft

Turkey – Turkish Airlines Flight Training Academy (TAFA), the pilot training division of Turkish Airlines, has expanded its training fleet with the addition of its 50th aircraft.

In 2025 it has also expanded its training operations by launching flight training activities at Adana Şakirpaşa Airport. This new location marks TAFA’s fifth training center, joining its existing bases in Aydın, Uşak, Selçuk, and Bodrum-Milas.

  • Adana Şakirpaşa Airport will serve as a dedicated flight training center, following the Turkish government’s decision to keep it operational alongside Çukurova International Airport.
  • TAFA has deployed four training aircraft to Adana, with plans to increase this number to 18, depending on airport capacity.
  • The academy currently operates a fleet of 50 aircraft and plans to expand to 107 aircraft by Q1 2027, with 47 new aircraft expected by the end of 2025.
  • Over the past five years, TAFA has graduated more than 900 pilots and recorded 220,000 flight hours as of December 2024.

The 50th aircraft was a Diamond Aircraft.

Source: Turkish Airlines Flight Academy
Photo Credit: Turkish Airlines Flight Academy (shown as meta image)

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