South African general and business aviation services company National Airways (NAC) is to embark on an overseas promotion drive for its flight training facilities following its acquisition of several flight schools.
NAC acquired the Delta 200 Flying School in Cape Town last month and plans to rebrand Delta 200 and its NAC Cape Town helicopter training facility as 43 Air School Cape Town from next year. NAC acquired the continent's largest fixed-wing and helicopter pilot training academy and ground crew training facility, 43 Air School, last September in a deal estimated to be worth R15 million ($2.25 million). Based in Port Alfred in the south-east of the country, 43 Air School has been operating close to capacity at around 3,000h/month and is the second-busiest flight school in the world after FlightSafety International in Florida. NAC executive director Graeme Conlyn says weather conditions and cheaper course fees have attracted foreign trainee pilots from the USA. Once the merger and rebranding exercise is complete, NAC plans to promote the two sites to foreign markets, with the UK likely to be first. "Cape Town has the advantage of being a top tourist destination, so trainee pilots can enjoy a holiday at the same time," says Peter Bouwer, managing director of NAC Cape Town. Bouwer says Delta 200 currently operates around 400h/month from its facilities at Cape Town airport, while the NAC helicopter school is running at around 100h/month, figures which he expects to double next year and again in 2005.
Source: Flight International
