Airbus Flight Academy Europe upgrades training fleet with more sustainable aircraft

Angoulême, 8 December 2023 – Airbus Flight Academy Europe, a 100% subsidiary of Airbus providing civil and military pilot training, has received its first batch of more fuel efficient, quieter Elixir training aircraft as part of its sustainable development strategy.

The first four aircraft, out of a total of eight to be delivered, are equipped with a cockpit specially designed for the Airbus Flight Academy, including two Electronic Flight Instrument Systems (EFIS), to prepare cadet pilots for the technologies in today’s most advanced commercial aircraft.

“We are delighted to announce that, following the delivery of our very first Elixir aircraft, our cadets will now be flying this quieter, more fuel-efficient aircraft during the first flight phases of their training. This is a first step towards the gradual modernisation of the training fleet to reduce the environmental impact of our academy, says Jean Longobardi, Airbus Flight Academy Europe CEO & President”.

Airbus Flight Academy Europe was established in 2006 to provide training facilities and services to support the initial, basic and advanced training of civil and military pilots. Airbus Flight Academy Europe has developed its own pilot training capabilities and has been delivering the Airbus Pilot Cadet Training Programme since 2019. Located in Angoulême, south-west France, the training centre offers all the necessary training facilities and assets to provide the best training conditions for our cadets.

The Airbus Pilot Cadet Training Programme is open to high school graduates over 18 years old worldwide. Candidates will undergo online and on-site screening tests before being eligible for training which will include 800+ hours of ground school, and 200 hours of practical (flight and simulator) training. Around 80 cadets are trained at the Airbus Flight Academy Europe each year.

Airbus Flight Academy Europe owns a fleet of Diamond DA42, Cirrus SR20, Grob 120 A-F and now four Elixir aircraft, all dedicated to the cadet training. In addition, Airbus Flight Academy Europe operates on its site and customer sites a fleet of two FNPT II qualified simulators to offer the best training solutions to student pilots.

Source: Airbus