Skyborne Airline Academy, which trains commercial airline pilots in Florida and the UK, is now owned by Excolere Equity Partners, a Los Angeles-based private equity group that invests in education and human capital management businesses. Financial terms were not disclosed.

In a press release dated November 2, 2026, Skyborne said the investment will provide additional resources to accelerate future expansion, strengthen its global airline relationships and continue to invest in the student experience. The academy will keep the Skyborne brand and its existing management team, and the company said day-to-day operations, airline partnerships and student programs will not change.

What the new owner gets

Skyborne was founded in 2017 by its chief executive, Lee Woodward. According to the release, it operates in the United Kingdom, the United States and India, employs more than 400 staff and flies a fleet of over 60 aircraft. Its headquarters are at Gloucestershire Airport, with a second UK base at Bournemouth Airport.

In 2021, Skyborne acquired FlightSafety Academy’s facility in Vero Beach, Florida. The company says more than 28,000 commercial pilots have trained at that site. Skyborne lists approvals from the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the FAA and EASA among others, and offers structured pathways to the flight deck, including fully funded courses and tagging programs with major airlines.

Woodward called the deal “a significant milestone in Skyborne’s growth.” He said the academy would continue to develop professional airline pilots “with an investor that shares our passion for education and progress,” and that as it scales it remains committed to its airline partners, students and the communities it serves.

Airline ties and funding routes

The release puts airline links at the center of Skyborne’s offer. The academy lists long-standing partnerships with IndiGo, easyJet and Ryanair, and states that 95% of its graduates are in airline employment.

In the UK, Skyborne offers fully funded places through British Airways’ Speedbird Pilot Academy and Jet2FlightPath. In the US, it partners with Sallie Mae for student funding and describes itself as one of the first flight training schools to accept the 529 College Savings Plan.

For airlines that recruit cadets from Skyborne, the release offers continuity: the existing partnerships and programs stay in place under the new owner. It does not set out new capacity targets, new bases or a timetable for the expansion the investment is meant to fund.

Who Excolere is

Excolere Equity Partners was formally launched in 2022 by Managing Partner Tony Miller with partners Pete Davis and Marcelus DeCoulode, according to an October 25, 2023, press release from GCM Grosvenor. Miller is a former co-founder and chief operating officer of The Vistria Group and a former Deputy Secretary of the US Department of Education.

That 2023 release announced a strategic partnership between Excolere and GCM Grosvenor’s Elevate strategy, which GCM Grosvenor launched in January 2023 to invest in emerging lower and middle-market buyout firms. It described Excolere as a buyout investor in the education and human capital management sectors, with targets including companies upskilling and reskilling their workforces and working adults acquiring skills and credentials. Its early investments included EPS School Specialty, a developer of K-12 literacy and math curriculum products.

The Skyborne release describes Excolere as focused exclusively on the education and human capital management sectors, working with management teams to sharpen strategy, strengthen operations and accelerate growth.

Miller said Excolere was “excited to support Skyborne’s next chapter of growth,” as the academy develops pilots and expands career opportunities for aspiring aviators. DeCoulode said: “Skyborne has built an outstanding reputation as a leader in professional pilot training.” He added that the firm would work alongside Woodward and the management team to build on that foundation.

The demand behind training investments

Long-term demand forecasts form the backdrop to the deal. Boeing’s Pilot and Technician Outlook 2026-2045 projects global demand for 674,000 new commercial pilots over the next 20 years, alongside 728,000 maintenance technicians and 1,023,000 cabin crew.

Private equity ownership of independent training providers is not new. AirPro News has covered consolidation in the sector, including Pan Am Flight Academy’s purchase of Alliance Aviation under its private equity owner, Acorn Capital Management. Florida has also seen new training capacity, including US Aviation Academy’s two new Florida campuses in May 2026.

For airline partners and prospective cadets, the details still to come are the scale and pace of the expansion Excolere is funding. The November 2 release does not give them.

Canadian training provider CAE announced the deployment of four additional full-flight simulators across the Americas on October 20, 2026, expanding localized training capacity for high-demand business jets.

Revealed during the National Business Aviation Association’s Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE) in Las Vegas, Nevada, the expansion targets a projected long-term shortage of aviation professionals. In a press release, the company stated the new hardware will support training for the Bombardier Global 6500, Embraer Praetor 600, Pilatus PC-24, and Cessna Citation CJ4.

Expanding localized training capacity

The addition of the four simulators is designed to align CAE’s global training network with growing customer and fleet demand. By placing training hardware closer to where operators require it, the company aims to reduce the need for flight crews to travel long distances for initial and recurrent training.

While the specific cities or training center locations for the four new simulators within the Americas region were not detailed in the October 20 announcement, the deployment fits into a broader strategy of regionalized training hubs.

Alexandre Prévost, President of Civil Aviation at CAE, noted the importance of localized access for operators.

“These simulator deployments expand access to high-quality training on the aircraft our customers fly, where they need it, while delivering the quality and experience they expect from CAE. It’s about helping crews stay ready, perform at their best and fly safely.”

Addressing the aviation talent shortage

The business aviation sector is experiencing sustained growth, driving a long-term need for qualified personnel. According to CAE’s Aviation Talent Forecast, the industry will require 102,000 new business aviation professionals worldwide by 2034.

That projection comprises 33,000 new business aviation pilots and 69,000 maintenance technicians. Prévost stated that as business aviation demand grows, the company is strengthening its global training network to meet the evolving needs of operators facing these workforce pressures.

CAE’s decade of business aviation growth

Over the past decade, CAE has nearly doubled its business aviation training capacity. The company’s global business aviation training network now includes more than 130 full-flight simulators.

To support this infrastructure, CAE employs approximately 1,000 instructors worldwide. Together, this network delivers more than 300,000 hours of training annually across both pilot and maintenance disciplines.

AirPro News analysis

The decision to deploy simulators for the Global 6500, Praetor 600, PC-24, and CJ4 reflects the current delivery mix and utilization rates in the Americas. By distributing simulator capacity regionally rather than centralizing it, training providers are directly addressing operator concerns about crew downtime. In a tight labor market where 33,000 new business aviation pilots are needed over the next decade, minimizing the days crews spend traveling to training events becomes a competitive advantage for both the operators and the training providers they select.

Bombardier Inc. inaugurated its first dedicated in-house skills development facility for United States aircraft technicians on October 15, 2026, anchoring an approximately $50 million investment in its Wichita, Kansas, operations.

The North American Learning Center and an expanded wheel and tire shop are designed to address industry-wide skilled labor constraints by internalizing mechanic training and boosting component repair capacity. In a press release issued on October 15, the Canadian manufacturer stated the investment ensures a steady pipeline of qualified personnel to support its growing network of 10 American service centers.

Training infrastructure and capacity

The newly opened North American Learning Center represents a strategic shift for Bombardier in how it prepares its aftermarket workforce. The facility features a retired Bombardier Global 5000 fuselage mounted on jack stands. This setup allows students to practice maintenance procedures on an actual airframe without the risk of damaging a customer aircraft.

According to reporting by Aviation International News and the Wichita Business Journal, the center will host two-week training courses for cohorts of up to 40 students. Over the next 12 months, Bombardier expects approximately 250 newly hired aircraft technicians and mechanics to pass through the curriculum.

The facility also incorporates dedicated back shops where trainees practice foundational aviation maintenance skills, including sheet metal fabrication, safety wire twisting, and digital manual navigation. Bombardier plans to expand the curriculum in the future to include advanced maintenance training and interior removal and installation courses.

Component repair expansion

Alongside the training center, the $50 million investment funded a significant modernization of the Wichita site’s wheel and tire shop. The upgraded facility is projected to double its throughput from 2,300 units last year to 5,000 units this year.

Once fully ramped up, the expanded shop will have the capacity to service 15,000 wheels and tires annually. This increased Component Repair and Overhaul (CR&O) capability is intended to directly support the company’s distributed service network across the country.

Paul Sislian, Executive Vice President of Aircraft Sales and Bombardier Aftermarket Services, highlighted the dual focus of the investment.

“Our approximately $50 million investment brings together important initiatives across the site, from the new Learning Center to expanded wheel and tire capabilities, strengthening both our people and our operations,” Sislian said. “This commitment to Wichita’s future will deepen the expertise and capabilities that will allow us to deliver an even stronger experience for our customers, while position the site for continued growth.”

Transitioning the Air Capital footprint

The October 15, 2026, inauguration marks the latest phase in Bombardier’s repositioning of its Wichita footprint. Known historically as the “Air Capital of the World,” the city was the manufacturing home of the Learjet program for six decades.

Bombardier announced the end of Learjet production on February 11, 2021, to focus resources on its more profitable Challenger and Global aircraft families. The final Learjet 75 rolled off the Wichita assembly line on March 28, 2022.

Rather than drawing down its presence following the end of aircraft manufacturing at the site, Bombardier designated the one-million-square-foot facility as its United States headquarters on April 19, 2022. The location also became the base for the newly launched Bombardier Defense division, alongside an existing major service center and flight test center.

Today, Bombardier employs 1,500 people in Kansas out of a total United States workforce of 3,500. The company reports an annual supplier spend of $2.5 billion across the country.

Kansas Governor Laura Kelly, who attended the inauguration alongside Lieutenant Governor David Toland, noted the state’s ongoing relationship with the manufacturer.

“Since 2019, my administration has partnered with Bombardier to build up the company’s presence in Wichita, which today now includes the new Learning Center, Bombardier Group’s U.S. headquarters, home of Bombardier Defense and the employment of 1,500 Kansans,” Kelly said.

AirPro News analysis

The aviation aftermarket is currently constrained by a severe shortage of skilled labor. By moving technician training in-house and simultaneously expanding component repair capacity, Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) like Bombardier are acknowledging that physical hangar space is no longer the primary bottleneck to aftermarket growth. We view this $50 million investment as a defensive strategy to protect service revenue. If an OEM cannot guarantee a steady supply of qualified mechanics and overhauled components, its expanded service centers cannot operate at capacity. Internalizing the training pipeline reduces reliance on third-party technical schools and ensures new hires are immediately productive on specific airframes like the Global 5000.