Whanganui to establish flight school

Wanganui District Council Holdings chair Matthew Doyle said it had bought Flight Training Manawatu for $800,000 and planned to relocate it from Feilding Aerodrome to Whanganui Airport.
The deal includes four planes, flight simulators and associated equipment.
Mr Doyle said the purchase was strategic and would help to maximise the use of existing airport assets.
“We have considered other flight training possibilities in the past but they have involved excessive commercial risk.
“However, Flight Training Manawatu is a profitable business with full certification and provides quality tuition and customer service, with a well-earned reputation for excellent pilot training.”
The current flight school offers three strands of the two-year NZ Diploma of Aviation programme, general aviation, instructor and airline preparation.
At the end of August it had 42 students and 13 staff, including 11 instructors. It has ties with two agents in India where the majority of international students come from.
11/09/15 Robin Martin/Radio New Zealand