L3 CTS increases cadet capacity at European Airline Academy
L3 Commercial Training Solutions (L3 CTS) announced today development plans at the L3 European Airline Academy to increase the number of cadets training at the facility to 500 per year.
To support the additional cadets, 12 new Diamond DA40 and four single-engine Cessna aircraft will be added to the Airline Academy’s fleet, the first of which will be flying by the end of June 2018.
The L3 European Airline Academy at Ponte de Sor, Portugal, was established earlier this year to build L3 CTS’s worldwide pilot training footprint. The new investments include the development of the top floor of the campus building to provide high-quality, stylish and modern on-site accommodation for more than 100 additional cadets. The work is scheduled to start in June and be completed by September.
“The L3 European Airline Academy is a truly world-class environment, and we are excited to be investing to expand capacity,” said Mário Spínola, L3 Airline Academy Director, Europe. “The investment will further boost the local economy and means that we will be able to provide even more fantastic cadet training to a diverse range of aspiring pilots, further supporting our airline customers by developing more high-quality new pilots.”
In addition to the investment in infrastructure and aircraft, the L3 European Airline Academy has been integrated into the company’s wider cadet training offering. This was marked by the first intake of cadets who completed ground school training at an alternative L3 Airline Academy facility.
These cadets will undertake approximately six months of flight training in Portugal before returning to the UK to complete the remainder of the course.