Citing the threat of disruption by hurricanes, Pan Am International Flight Academy (PAIFA) is to close its ab initio airline training campus in Ft Pierce, Florida and relocate all training equipment and aircraft to its Phoenix, Arizona school.
Destruction caused by last year's hurricanes continues to hamper operations at Ft Pierce, and the strong likelihood of storms this year makes further disruption of training inevitable, PAIFA says. "The very real threat of hurricanes in Florida does not allow us to achieve our mission with the certainty we desire," says chief executive Wally David.
In the wake of the destruction caused by last year's hurricanes, PAIFA temporarily moved some training to Phoenix. "We did so successfully, but to make the same move again would create unacceptable training delays," says Marilyn Ladner, senior vice-president, career pilot development.
Airline simulator operator PAIFA entered the ab initio flight training market in 1999, when it acquired Air Safety International in Vero Beach, Florida and Westwind Aviation Academy in Phoenix. These were followed by the purchase of Beaver Aviation Services near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Sierra Aviation Academy in Livermore, California.
Source: Flight International
