Ponte de Sor, Portalegre, Portugal, Feb. 24, 2026 (Lusa) - The Sevenair Academy pilot school, based at Ponte de Sor Municipal Aerodrome in the region of Portalegre, in eastern Portugal, will become part of the international Airbus Flight Academy network, which now includes 21 training centres.
In a joint statement, Ponte de Sor Municipal Aerodrome, Sevenair Academy and Airbus Flight Academy announced that the integration of the Alentejo district's pilot school into the aircraft manufacturer's network of academies will be inaugurated this Thursday at a ceremony at Ponte de Sor Aerodrome.
Sevenair Academy, it says, "has been selected to join the international network of Airbus Flight Academies, an initiative promoted by Airbus that includes a select group of training centres recognised worldwide for their high standards of quality, operational safety and technical excellence".
"With this incorporation, the training provided in Ponte de Sor will now be fully aligned with Airbus's pedagogical and operational standards and with the best international practices in the aeronautical industry," said the three entities.
Contacted by the Lusa news agency, a source from the organisation explained that the Airbus Flight Academy international network, with the “entry” of the Sevenair pilot school, now includes 21 training centres.
According to the promoters, this project in Ponte de Sor consists of "216 hours and 30 minutes of flight instruction and 945 hours and 30 minutes of theoretical training", structured according to the Competency-Based Training and Assessment (CBTA) methodology, a model aligned with the guidelines of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
"This approach focuses on demonstrating real and observable skills throughout the training course, assessing the pupil's ability to apply technical knowledge, make informed decisions, manage threats and errors, and act safely in a real operational context, bringing the training closer to the reality of commercial airlines," they added.
Later this year, training is expected to be provided to "around 50 cadets" in a "phased and structured" implementation, with the capacity reaching, on a consolidated basis, "at least 100 cadets per year," with "potential for future expansion," the entities emphasised.
"Integration into the Airbus Flight Academy network reinforces the international positioning of Ponte de Sor Municipal Aerodrome as a centre of excellence in aeronautical training," they stressed.
The promoters argued that the project will have a "direct impact" on attracting international students and instructors, creating skilled jobs, transferring specialised knowledge, attracting foreign investment and consolidating the Ponte de Sor aeronautical cluster.
Sevenair Academy is also "strengthening its capacity" at the Ponte de Sor Aeronautical Campus, namely through investment in "50 new bedrooms".
This measure accompanies the "sustained growth" of training activity, generating a direct and indirect economic impact in the region, particularly in terms of demand for services, commerce and catering, according to the statement.
The promoters said that this was "a partnership between private entities", but indicated that the local council was taking on "a strategic role as a facilitator of infrastructure conditions and a promoter of aeronautical investment in the region".
They emphasised that, "more than integration" into an international network, this initiative consolidates Ponte de Sor Municipal Aerodrome as "one of the main European hubs" for aeronautical training, affirming Portugal as a "strategic destination" for global aeronautical projects.
The ceremony inaugurating this partnership will take place at 9:30 a.m. at the Ponte de Sor Municipal Aerodrome.
HYT/AYLS // AYLS
Lusa
