Lufthansa Aviation Training (LAT) will assume responsibility for the Initial Flight Training (IFT) of approximately 50 German Air Force pilot trainees effective 1 February 2027.
As part of the IFT program, participants acquire the fundamental practical flying skills required for a pilot career. The training includes theoretical subjects such as meteorology, aviation law, and mission planning. A core component of the practical training is flying under visual flight rules (VFR), including instruction in Upset Prevention and Recovery Training (UPRT).
A key milestone of the program is the first solo flight, during which the trainee pilots put their newly acquired skills into practice independently for the first time.
Training will take place at LAT’s Rostock-Laage training center. Single-engine Diamond DA40 NG training aircraft will be used, ensuring high-quality, hands-on flight instruction. LAT will draw on experienced flight instructors for the program, many of whom previously served as jet pilots in the German Air Force. The close proximity to Tactical Air Force Wing 73 “Steinhoff”, which is also based at Rostock-Laage, enables close interaction with the German Air Force’s Eurofighter training unit from the very beginning.
Rostock-Laage has served as a training location for the Lufthansa Group Flight School for many years. It is here that trainee pilots complete the IFR phase of their training (IFR = Instrument Flight Rules) and conclude it with the practical examination for the Commercial Pilot License (CPL).
The Lufthansa Group and the German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr) share a partnership spanning more than 60 years. LAT is renowned for its high-quality pilot training and currently provides training for German Air Force drone pilots in Rostock, crews of the German Navy’s P-8A Poseidon aircraft at LAT’s simulator training center in Berlin, as well as Bundeswehr helicopter crews.
With the award of the Initial Flight Training contract for future German Air Force pilots in 2027, LAT is further expanding its military training portfolio.
Matthias Spohr, CEO of Lufthansa Aviation Training: "We are grateful for the trust the German Air Force has placed in our training expertise. Initial flight training is a key contribution to the operational readiness of the Bundeswehr, especially against the backdrop of the current geopolitical and security challenges. We are pleased to support the Air Force and to further expand our proven partnership."
Brigadier General Henrik Scholz, Head of Capability Development at the German Air Force Command:
“The German Air Force and Lufthansa have been connected by a partnership of more than 60 years in the field of training and education for Air Force pilots. We are pleased that we can continue this professional cooperation at the Rostock-Laage location in 2027.”
Leitender Regierungsdirektor Frank Ringhof, Head of the Bundeswehr Service Center Berlin:
"With the conclusion of this contract, we, the Bundeswehr Service Center Berlin, as the team behind the troops, were able to make our contribution to ensuring that the training of the future pilots of the German Air Force is secured and that they are therefore able to fulfill their mission of national and collective defence."
About Lufthansa Aviation Training:
With its competencies in training flight and cabin crews at ten training locations worldwide, Lufthansa Aviation Training GmbH (LAT) is among the world leaders in the field of aviation training. The company is headquartered at Munich Airport and employs around 800 people at all its locations. Its client portfolio encompasses more than 250 nationally and internationally renowned airlines, among them the Lufthansa Group airlines. LAT operates close to 200 training devices. These include training aircraft for pilot training, flight simulators for all common aircraft types for pilot training, as well as emergency and service mock-ups for cabin crews. The flight schools of the Lufthansa Group are joined under LAT’s brand European Flight Academy (EFA).
www.lufthansa-aviation-training.com
www.european-flight-academy.com.
