Avico invests in a Tunisian training academy

Avico, one of Europe’s leading charter broker companies, recently took a significant stake in Safe Flight Academy (SFA), Tunisia’s leading training centre for civil aviation and pilots, writes Vincent Chappard.

SFA operates from Monastir Airport with a fleet of Diamond Aircraft and a FNPT II DA42NG simulator.
Safe Flight Academy was founded in 2010 by TTS, Tunisia’s first private aviation group, in partnership with aeronautical professionals and the British company, Brookfield Aviation.
In 2015, the academy signed a partnership agreement with the French school Aéropyrénées Flight Center. It is now a renowned training centre, offering complete high-level pilot training accredited by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) in Africa.
According to Gilles Gompertz, CEO of Avico, training remains one of the major components in a sector as technical as air transport. “Our subsidiary, Butterfly, has been offering online training for ground staff for more than 15 years and we are always eager to work on new projects in partnership with reliable players.”
The SFA training centre draws on all the know-how of TTS group and the Nouvelair airline to offer pilot training to the best international standard for both English and French-speaking students.
In a near future, Avico’s main challenge will be to expand SFA’s customer base abroad. Tunisia offers many advantages like simplified visa, a weather conducive to practical training, and very competitive costs.
The Middle East and Africa, due to their diversity and structural need in air transport, are, therefore, key areas of development and growth for Avico Group. It carries out about 30% of its activity in the region and has three offices in Africa (Ivory Coast, Morocco and Senegal).
As a result, Avico has established a foothold in various countries and new ecosystems to provide a range of dedicated, seasonal or consolidated quality services to customers in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia and the United States, as well as to national and regional low-cost, charter, cargo operators, and business aviation.
Avico’s activities are geared towards increasing its productivity without excessive investment risks.