UK Brighton City Airport-based FTA Global is preparing a significant future capital investment in UK pilot training, and has appointed respected aviation industry veteran Anthony Petteford to serve as strategic adviser as part of the plan.

Petteford, who has previously both led and invested in ab initio pilot training industry brands, including Oxford Aviation Academy (now CAE), and CTC Aviation (now L3Harris), is well-placed to support the FTA team with their strategic growth ambitions in the UK CAA, EASA and global pilot training markets.

His 26-year CV has seen him oversee the training of over 10,000 cadets, develop award-winning ATPL multimedia, launch the inaugural MPL to the UK with Flybe and easyJet and gain global ATO approvals with international regulators, including the USA, MENA, Asia and Australia/NZ.

‘Mutual ambition to deliver positive change’

FTA’s managing director, Sean Jacob, said: “Anthony and I have known each other for some time and it is with enormous pleasure that I now welcome him to the FTA team.

“We share a mutual ambition to deliver positive change into the world of commercial pilot training.

“Our goal is to ensure that, by differentiating our approach, the biggest beneficiaries are the students and the airlines that they go on to fly with.”

Investment and growth ambitions

Petteford said: “Since my early industry days in the 1990s with the then UK Oxford Air Training School – when airlines sponsored and funded cadet programmes – our approach to airline pilot training has evolved materially.

“I’ve witnessed significant periods of exciting change, growth and – of course – cyclical challenges for our industry, and have been proud to help create and launch initiatives that support and benefit both pilots and airlines.

“I am delighted to join Sean and his team at FTA to share my varied experience and help them achieve their investment and growth ambitions. I see huge value in the UK modular training environment, and look forward to helping to build upon FTA’s strategic emphasis on the qualities of being ‘Trained in Britain’.”

Image caption: FTA Global’s Sean Jacob and Anthony Petteford
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