AELO Swiss Academy Unveils International Transformation of Its Airline Pilot Training Operation

GORDOLA, SWITZERLAND, Nov. 12, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GORDOLA, SWITZERLAND - November 12, 2026 -

AELO Swiss Academy has announced the strategic repositioning of its flight school as an international airline-focused training organisation operating across three European bases in Locarno, Lugano and Cuneo. The transformation reflects more than four decades of aviation training heritage evolving into a modern organisation aligned with the requirements of commercial airlines.

The repositioning follows a period of substantial operational growth. AELO Swiss Academy reported a 186 percent year-on-year increase in September 2026 operations, recording 2,829 block hours and 2,396 flight hours in a single month. In August 2026, the academy logged 2,283 flight hours, representing a 101.5 percent increase compared with the same month in 2025. During the first eight months of 2026, total flight hours reached 10,704.

This growth has been supported by significant investment in the academy's training fleet. During the first eight months of 2026, the organisation added ten aircraft, including Tecnam P2008, Diamond DA20, Diamond DA40 and Diamond DA42 models, bringing the total fleet to 34 aircraft. A further order for 18 Diamond DA20 aircraft is scheduled for delivery across 2026 and 2027. The academy has also recruited additional instructors to support increased visual and instrument flight training activity.

Central to the transformation is a training philosophy that integrates professional airline behaviours from the earliest stages of instruction. European airline pilot training at AELO Swiss Academy incorporates concepts derived from Evidence-Based Training and competency-based evaluation, developing both technical and non-technical skills in parallel.

"The transformation reflects a clear shift in what airlines expect from newly qualified pilots," said Jaime Ordovas, Business Development Director at AELO Swiss Academy. "Obtaining a licence and becoming an airline-ready professional are not the same thing. The focus has been on building an organisation that prepares pilots for the discipline and standardisation of a commercial cockpit from their very first flight."

The academy has established partnerships with major airlines and aviation organisations, including SWISS International Air Lines, the École Nationale de l'Aviation Civile (ENAC) and Air France, SkyAlps Airlines, European Pilot Selection and Training, and AMRIS Aviation. These relationships include a Multi-Crew Pilot Licence programme with SkyAlps, Air France cadet training at the Cuneo base, and the allocation of approximately 70 EPST students for training in 2026.

AELO operates as a Swiss Federal Office of Civil Aviation Approved Training Organisation under approval ATO.CH.0311, supported by a Safety Management System subject to regulatory oversight. The academy has reported that approximately 96 percent of its graduates secure an airline position within six months of graduation.

"Sustaining this level of growth requires more than additional aircraft," Ordovas added. "It requires systems for standardisation, safety management and planning that allow the organisation to scale while preserving training quality."

AELO Swiss Academy is the trading name of Aero Locarno SA headquartered at Locarno Airport in Switzerland and operates satellite bases at Lugano and Cuneo. Operated by Aero Locarno SA, the academy delivers integrated ATPL, MPL and airline cadet training programmes, drawing on more than four decades of aviation training experience and a network of airline and institutional partnerships across Europe.

For more information about Aero Locarno SA, contact the company here:

AELO Swiss Academy
Diego Paris
+41 79 544 07 77
diego@aeloswissacademy.com
Via Aeroporto 21
6596 Gordola, Switzerland

CONTACT: Diego Paris