At the Dubai Airshow on 20 November, Intercontinental Aviation Enterprise (IAE) of the UAE and MA Group, owner of Cyprus Airways Flying Academy (CAFA), inked a Memorandum of Understanding that folds CAFA into IAE’s global pilot-training network via a reciprocal share-exchange.
The partnership gives IAE an operational base in the EU while granting CAFA access to capital for fleet modernisation, new simulators and satellite campuses. A joint board will oversee curriculum alignment and expansion plans, including potential outposts in Greece and Portugal.
![Cyprus and UAE Sign Aviation-Training MoU, Expanding Pilot Pipeline]()
For Cyprus the deal reinforces its emergence as a regional aviation-training hub, complementing the island’s strategy to attract aviation-linked FDI and high-skill expatriates. Trainee pilots from the Middle East and South-East Asia will now be able to complete European-Aviation-Safety-Agency (EASA) licenses on the island, boosting demand for accommodation, transport and ancillary services.
Corporate mobility teams should note that the agreement could shorten training lead-times for airline clients deploying crew to Cyprus and may spur additional traffic through Larnaca Airport. It also aligns with the government’s goal of diversifying the economy beyond tourism and shipping, an objective that could translate into further incentives for specialised talent relocation.
The MoU follows a year of deepening Cyprus-UAE ties, including codeshare expansion between Cyprus Airways and Emirates, and underscores the strategic value of the island’s geographic position at the crossroads of three continents.
The partnership gives IAE an operational base in the EU while granting CAFA access to capital for fleet modernisation, new simulators and satellite campuses. A joint board will oversee curriculum alignment and expansion plans, including potential outposts in Greece and Portugal.
For Cyprus the deal reinforces its emergence as a regional aviation-training hub, complementing the island’s strategy to attract aviation-linked FDI and high-skill expatriates. Trainee pilots from the Middle East and South-East Asia will now be able to complete European-Aviation-Safety-Agency (EASA) licenses on the island, boosting demand for accommodation, transport and ancillary services.
Corporate mobility teams should note that the agreement could shorten training lead-times for airline clients deploying crew to Cyprus and may spur additional traffic through Larnaca Airport. It also aligns with the government’s goal of diversifying the economy beyond tourism and shipping, an objective that could translate into further incentives for specialised talent relocation.
The MoU follows a year of deepening Cyprus-UAE ties, including codeshare expansion between Cyprus Airways and Emirates, and underscores the strategic value of the island’s geographic position at the crossroads of three continents.
