Tokyo, Japan, September 2, 2026. Airbus and All Nippon Airways (ANA) have signed a comprehensive flight training agreement to build the airline’s next generation of pilots, further expanding a strategic partnership that spans nearly four decades.
To address the growing demand for highly skilled commercial pilots, Airbus will deliver an ab-initio pilot training programme for cadets across the ANA Group and partner airlines. The curriculum will be held at Sevenair Academy in Ponte de Sor, Portugal, taking aspiring aviators with no prior flight experience through every training phase to become a licensed pilot. The inaugural cohort of 19 cadets is scheduled to begin training later this year.
By integrating the training programme directly into the Airbus network, the airlines’ cadets will train under a single unified curriculum grounded in standard Airbus flight training concepts, methodologies, and modern learning tools from day one.
“We are very pleased to gain access to the latest pilot training programme offered by Airbus,” said Takeshi Tsuchida, Executive Vice President of Flight Operations at ANA. “This programme incorporates the latest safety insights and aligns directly with the Airbus philosophy of Competency-Based Training and Assessment (CBTA). It will equip our cadets with the essential competencies required to navigate complex operational environments and manage flight operations seamlessly.”
“ANA is globally renowned for its uncompromising commitment to safety, precision, and training excellence. For a world-class airline to entrust their next generation of pilots to our network is an immense honour,” said Thomas Aoudia, Head of Operations and Business Development at Airbus Training Services. “Our ab-initio pathway focuses on cultivating core competencies early. By leveraging the global standards of the Airbus flight training framework, we guarantee a harmonised, top-tier training experience from initial flight to the airline flight deck.”
The initiative comes at a critical time for global aviation. According to the latest Airbus Global Services Forecast, the aviation industry will require 633,000 new pilots worldwide over the next 20 years, with 104,000 needed in the Asia-Pacific region alone. Through this expanded agreement, Airbus and ANA are taking direct action to secure a resilient, high-standard talent pipeline for Japan’s aviation market.
