Airways Aviation

The challenge

European aviation training is a large, tightly regulated market: the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) sets demanding standards, and Europe’s airlines and manufacturers create steady demand for pilots, cabin crew and ground staff. Airways Aviation saw a comparable opportunity in the Middle East and set out to establish an EASA-standard academy in Lebanon.

The obstacles were the ones every training organisation faces, compounded by starting from nothing:

Cost. Aircraft, simulators and instructors make training expensive for both the school and the student.
Regulation. Licensing, safety and training rules are complex and change often, and the corporate structure itself had to satisfy them.
Competition and attrition. Students can choose from established schools, and many who start flight training don’t finish.
People. Qualified instructors are scarce and hard to retain.
Technology. Keeping training current means continual and expensive investment.

The work

Corporate structure

We redesigned the company’s structure around what licensing required: a clear hierarchy, defined lines of communication and departments led by accountable managers. Roles and responsibilities were documented so every employee understood their remit, improving task allocation and decision-making.

Operating technology

We advised on the academy’s technology, including flight-management systems for navigation and safety and predictive-maintenance software to flag equipment failures before they cause downtime. We implemented an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system covering HR, finance and supply chain so that information moved cleanly between departments. Microsoft was adopted as the core communications platform.

Learning-management system

We implemented an LMS to deliver and track the curriculum — aviation skills, safety protocols and emerging technology — letting staff and students learn at their own pace, track progress and earn certifications.

Commercial footing

We set out recommendations to invest in learning technology, build a marketing and sales strategy to reach prospective students, and keep costs under control to stay competitive.

The outcome

In eighteen months, Airways Aviation Lebanon went from an idea to a fully functional training base, holding the licences and certifications it needed to operate. The work linked corporate preparation to day-to-day operating systems, and the LMS strengthened staff competence and safety culture from the outset. Licensing decisions themselves remained with the relevant authorities.