Until the 1990s, Spanish pilots trained in the USA, where flight hours were cheaper and more easily available than in Spain. But when new Joint Aviation Authorities regulations became more stringent, pilot training moved back to Europe, and local flight schools found new opportunities for growth, putting Spain on the industry's global map.
BAE Systems' has shifted flight-school operations from Scotland to Andalusia, and American Flyers, General Electric Commercial Aviation Training (GECAT) and Flight Safety have also moved to Spain. "Our European civil training operations went from Prestwick to Jerez because of the unique climate," says Peter Sadler, director of BAE Systems' Jerez centre, where around 75 students are learning to fly with a fleet of 10 Piper Seneca IIIs and 20 Piper Warriors.
Another dynamic player is AeroMadrid, which last year announced a joint venture with GECAT to operate a Level D A320 simulator, after winning Type Rating Training Organisation approval to run A320 type-rating conversion courses. Its managing director, Jose Manuel Pérez de la Cruz, says the industry has suffered from the worldwide aviation crisis, but he says the situation is improving: "Enrolment for this year's courses is strong, helped by the fact that foreign students, particularly from Latin America, hit by more restrictive US visa requirements, are discovering Spain as an attractive alternative to Florida, their traditional training destination.
"Latin American regulators are also coming closer to accepting JAA licences more easily for local operations, in the same way they accept FAA licences today. It would be helpful to see European politicians assist Latin American countries to accelerate this process," he says.
European Flyers, owned by Spain's largest business charter operator Gestair and individual investors, is also expanding heavily. Operating an Airbus A320 simulator and 23 training aircraft under the American Flyers España label, the company has recently acquired Aerocondor, Portugal's most important flight school.
The most significant still-unannounced project is the joint venture between some of European Flyers' principal shareholders and FlightSafety from the USA to create an all-new international training centre near Badajoz.
Co-founder Jose Montero de Espinosa says: "We will create a new international training centre in southwestern Spain under an agreement with Flight Safety. There is strong international demand and we hope to start operations next April. While American Flyers España and Aerocondor serve the local market, the new centre will be run by English-speaking instructors for students coming mainly from the rest of Europe.
FlightSafety has committed not to start any new individual training programmes in Europe, and to concentrate those activities in Spain. Obviously, this will not affect their in-house activities with airlines. About half of the training will be realised at FlightSafety USA."
Source: Flight International
