Skyborne Aviation Group has completed the acquisition of its new flight academy located in Vero Beach, Florida. Skyborne Airline Academy Vero Beach will be the first pilot training base in the US for the UK-headquartered airline academy, which was previously operated as FlightSafety Academy.

Skyborne Airline Academy Vero Beach offers prospective pilots a full-time FAA Part 141 approved training on a 12-month residential programme, airline pathway programmes with leading US airlines, plus Private, Instrument, Commercial and Instructor courses. It will also serve as a fair weather base for Skyborne's UK CAA Integrated ATPL programme and welcome trainees from the Academy's IndiGo Cadet Pilot Programme as they complete their US FAA 141 CPL SEIR plus ME flying.

Skyborne CEO Lee Woodward says: “Today's deal closure is a milestone for Skyborne as we officially enter the US pilot training market. Skyborne Airline Academy Vero Beach will be a world class facility in a prime geographic location. The timing is optimal as the global demand for pilots will outpace supply as the world emerges from the pandemic. We are committed to attracting the top talent in the United States and are on course to offer the best flight training facility in the country backed by decades of experience and long-standing relationships with the world's leading airlines.”

The Vero Beach academy opened on 1 May, offering approximately 320 flying days every year in the Florida skies. Located on a 30-acre site between Orlando and West Palm Beach, the academy is minutes from the Space Coast and situated within reach of 137 airports state-wide. With over 200 recently renovated bedrooms, a swimming pool, soccer field, volleyball court, cafes and bookshops, trainees can enjoy a full campus experience.