Airbus and ALT Academy have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore cooperation in aircraft maintenance training, in a move aimed at strengthening technical skills capacity and building a stronger pipeline of aviation maintenance professionals across Africa.
The agreement, signed on the sidelines of the Africa Aerospace and Defence (AAD) Expo 2026, provides a framework for the two organisations to identify joint training initiatives and learning solutions that can better align academic preparation with the technical requirements of the aviation industry.
The partnership comes as the increasing sophistication of modern aircraft places greater demands on maintenance personnel, making access to current technical knowledge and industry-aligned training increasingly important to airlines and aviation operators.
Under the MoU, Airbus and ALT Academy will explore opportunities to develop training programmes that connect manufacturer knowledge and learning solutions with practical education and industry requirements.
The organisations said the collaboration is intended to help aviation professionals acquire skills relevant to increasingly advanced aircraft operations, while maintaining safety, quality and regulatory standards.
Nam-Binh Hoang, Airbus country representative in South Africa, said the partnership reflects the manufacturer’s commitment to supporting the development of Africa’s aviation ecosystem.
“This partnership underscores our long-term commitment to supporting the growth of Africa’s aviation ecosystem. By combining our industry-leading learning solutions with ALT Academy’s dedication to practical education, we are proud to support the development of a robust pipeline of highly skilled professionals ready to meet the evolving demands of modern aviation,” Hoang said.
Ryan van Wijk, CEO of ALT Academy, said the technical requirements of modern aircraft make it difficult for individual institutions to build the necessary maintenance training capacity in isolation.
He said the partnership would provide an opportunity to make current manufacturer knowledge and learning solutions more accessible to learners and industry, while maintaining strict safety, quality and regulatory requirements.
The agreement places particular emphasis on practical, industry-relevant education, with the two organisations expected to jointly assess training opportunities and determine how programmes could be structured and delivered.
“This partnership is an important step in our commitment to building practical, high-quality maintenance training capacity in South Africa,” van Wijk said.
The proposed cooperation also reflects the need within Africa’s aviation industry for a steady supply of technically qualified personnel capable of supporting fleet expansion and increasingly complex aircraft systems.
Aircraft maintenance is considered a critical component of airline operations, with shortages of appropriately trained technical personnel potentially affecting operators’ ability to maintain aircraft efficiently and meet regulatory requirements.
Notably, the partnership provides an avenue for Airbus to extend manufacturer-aligned learning solutions into the training ecosystem, while ALT Academy brings a focus on practical education and skills development.
However, the MoU does not yet constitute a finalised training programme. The scope, course content, accreditation and enrolment arrangements will be developed jointly, with further details expected as the partners progress their plans and obtain the necessary regulatory approvals.
The collaboration will therefore initially focus on identifying viable areas of cooperation before specific programmes are launched.
The partners said the ultimate objective is to strengthen maintenance training capacity in South Africa and contribute to the development of aviation skills that can support operators across the wider African continent.
