Solent: Airways Aviation Group consolidates and expands in the UK

Global flight training group, Airways Aviation, has announced that UK-based Bournemouth Helicopters and its fixed wing training sister company Solent School of Flying will now operate as one of Airways Aviation branded subsidiaries. The consolidation of the Airways UK operations and change of branding represents an important step in the Airways Aviation Group global strategy.

Major investments began with the relocation of the training and operations base to a more suitable location at Bournemouth airport, immediately followed by the introduction of an AS350 Squirrel helicopter. Management are also arranging further new administration and classroom space at Bournemouth to accommodate projected expansion.

Ollie Pennington, managing director for the Airways Aviation Bournemouth operations, said: “All of the 10 flying instructors and operations staff are to be retained and there are new plans to expand the southern England operations and increase the current fleet of eight aircraft in the not-too-distant future.”

The Airways Group currently operates fully-facilitated and accredited flight training bases in the UK, Australia and Montenegro, and is also rapidly expanding its ground schools for aviation theory in the United Arab Emirates, Jordan and Malaysia.  Additional international locations under negotiation are to open throughout 2015.

The introduction of a bespoke Airways Aviation Foundation Curriculum, based on both EASA and CASA requirements, is set to become an increasingly-integral part of the Group’s commercial pilot training pathway for both fixed and rotor wing aircraft in targeted host countries. The Foundation Course in the UK will be part of the roll-out of the proposed new study pathway program and will be available to students initially at Bournemouth from mid-September and later from other locations in the UK.