US flight training academy AeroGuard Flight Training Center has signed an agreement with Qatar Aeronautical Academy (QAA) to train its cadets in the US.
The strategic agreement involves the two companies collaborating on the joint delivery of pilot training programmes, including establishing AeroGuard’s Arizona campus as an additional training location for QAA.
In addition to this US expansion, AeroGuard has also previously developed its global footprint with AeroGuard Arabia, its first pilot training campus outside the US, opening in Saudi Arabia last year.
Commenting on the new partnership with QAA, Joel Davidson, AeroGuard Flight Training Center’s CEO, said: “AeroGuard is honoured to partner with Qatar Aeronautical Academy and provide comprehensive flight training services for their cadet pilots, preparing them for long and successful careers.
“This agreement continues to represent AeroGuard’s commitment to providing highly skilled and professional pilots for universities and airlines in the Middle East and around the world. AeroGuard looks forward to enhancing our global-leading flight training capability with this agreement and to further developing the talent of next generation pilots for the world’s leading airlines.”
Shaikh Jabor Al-Thani, Qatar Aeronautical Academy’s director general, added: “We are pleased to announce that we have signed a strategic partnership agreement with AeroGuard, a leading provider of Flight Training Centre in the field of aviation. This agreement will enable us to leverage our complementary strengths and capabilities and create new opportunities for collaboration and growth.
“We believe that this partnership will benefit both our companies, as well as our students and our portfolio. By combining our resources and expertise, we will be able to offer more value-added services, enhance our competitive edge, and expand our market reach. We look forward to working with AeroGuard and achieving our shared goals.”
The news of the training partnership with QAA follows AeroGuard’s announcement that it has recently agreed a fleet expansion deal with Piper Aircraft, ordering an additional 90 new Piper Archers.
The deal will see AeroGuard nearly double its fleet in size, bringing it to over 200 aircraft. As a result of the order, AeroGuard expects to attain the capacity to consistently train over 2,000 student pilots across its three US campuses, preparing student pilots for professional careers with airlines.
Joel Davidson said: “We are thrilled to sign this agreement with Piper Aircraft to bring 90 new Piper Archers to AeroGuard’s fleet. This investment represents our commitment to providing our student pilots with every resource they need to succeed while experiencing the highest quality flight training in the world. With these additional aircraft, AeroGuard has the capacity to welcome hundreds of new student pilots and airline cadets to our flight training programmes.”
AeroGuard adds that in addition to this order of 90 aircraft, the company will have added another 25 aircraft to its expanding fleet by the end of 2023. The academy has also recently expanded its Phoenix, Arizona location, growing capacity by 30% with the addition of a new building, helping it deliver the new QAA pilot training contract.