USA's Saint Louis University Secures AABI Reaffirmation for Flight Science and Aviation Management

Missouri, USA – US higher education institution Saint Louis University (SLU) has received Aviation Accreditation Board International (AABI) reaffirmation for two Bachelor of Science in Aeronautics programmes within its Oliver L. Parks Department of Aviation Science. The five-year reaffirmation maintains programmatic accreditation for SLU's pilot-training pathway as it continues FAA Part 141 flight instruction and Restricted ATP-eligible degree training.

• Two SLU programmes received reaffirmation: the B.S. in Aeronautics – Flight Science Concentration under AABI's Flight Education criteria and the B.S. in Aeronautics – Aviation Management Concentration. AABI stated that the action marks 30 years of continuous accreditation for SLU's Department of Aviation Science.
• SLU's School of Science and Engineering accreditation page has been updated to show both Aeronautics concentrations accredited by AABI through July 31, 2031. AABI states that its typical accreditation period is five years.
• AABI accreditation is programme-specific rather than institutional. Its policies state that individual degree programmes are accredited after assessment against criteria covering areas including curriculum, faculty and staff, facilities and equipment, safety culture, industry relations and continuous assessment.
• SLU's Flight Science concentration operates under FAA Part 141 approval and takes students through Private Pilot, Instrument Rating, Commercial Pilot single- and multi-engine qualifications and Certified Flight Instructor training.
• The university is also authorised to provide transcript endorsements toward Restricted Airline Transport Pilot eligibility. Graduates completing the applicable approved coursework can receive a 250-hour or 500-hour reduction from the standard 1,500-hour ATP experience requirement, allowing qualifying candidates to become eligible at 1,250 or 1,000 hours respectively.
• SLU operates a fleet of Diamond DA20, Piper PA-28-181 Archer aircraft equipped with Garmin G1000 NXi avionics and Piper PA-44 Seminoles within its flight-training fleet at St. Louis Downtown Airport. The DA20 supports primary training, the Archer supports technically advanced and instrument instruction, and the Seminole is used for multi-engine training.
• Synthetic training infrastructure includes Frasca TruFlite Advanced Aircraft Training Devices, while current university material also identifies a Boeing 737 MAX simulator used for advanced capstone training. SLU's Flight School page separately lists a Canadair Regional Jet CRJ-700 simulator.
• Flight Science students begin practical flying during their first year, with training conducted at St. Louis Downtown Airport. The programme combines aircraft flying with simulation and academic instruction in areas including flight operations, safety, human factors and air carrier operations.
• SLU's current catalogue identifies airline pathway arrangements with Envoy Air, Republic Airways and Mesa Airlines, alongside internship opportunities with carriers including Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines and JetBlue.
• The Oliver L. Parks Department of Aviation Science traces its history to 1927, and SLU states that the programme holds the first federally certified flight certificate in the United States.
• AABI stated in July 2026 that it accredits more than 100 aviation programmes across 45 colleges and universities worldwide, including 35 US institutions offering degrees with a flight-training emphasis.

Source: AABI