Airbus and ANA Partner to Train Future Pilots in Portugal
Airbus and Japanese airline All Nippon Airways have concluded a training agreement for future pilots of the ANA group and its partner airlines. The first cohort will begin in Portugal by year-end.
Ab-initio Training for Cadets with No Prior Experience
Airbus and All Nippon Airways (ANA) signed a pilot training agreement on September 2, 2026, extending a partnership that has been in place for nearly four decades. Under the terms of this agreement, Airbus will deliver an ab-initio training program for cadets from the ANA group and partner airlines. The curriculum will be conducted at Sevenair Academy in Ponte de Sor, Portugal, and covers candidates with no prior flying experience through to the acquisition of their pilot license.
First Cohort of 19 Cadets Expected to Begin by Year-End
The first cohort, comprising 19 cadets, is scheduled to commence training later this year. The program is integrated into the Airbus network, enabling cadets to follow a unified curriculum based on Airbus training concepts, methodologies and tools. According to Takeshi Tsuchida, executive vice-president of flight operations at ANA, the program aligns with Airbus's philosophy of competency-based training and evaluation (CBTA).
An Agreement Underpinned by Sectoral Pilot Demand
The agreement comes at a time of strong demand for commercial pilots. According to the latest Airbus forecasts (Global Services Forecast), the aviation sector will need 633,000 new pilots worldwide over the next twenty years, including 104,000 in the Asia-Pacific region alone. The agreement was signed during the Asia Pacific Aviation Training Summit (APATS) 2026.
