Press Release

Under the brand name European Flight Academy (EFA), Lufthansa Aviation Training is pooling all Lufthansa Group flight schools in Germany, Switzerland and the U.S. Graduates meet the high standards of Lufthansa Group airlines and benefit from exclusive access to the internal job market. As such, chances to be hired and then to choose between the diverse career options as a pilot within the Lufthansa Group are guaranteed.

The European Flight Academy looks for 500 new pilot students this year for Lufthansa Group airlines. The theoretical part of the training takes place in Bremen, the first practical part in the U.S. Afterwards, the future pilots learn how to fly by using the instruments at EFA-locations in Rostock-Laage and Bremen.

As part of the fleet event for the DA-42 aircraft at Rostock-Laage airport, Ola Hansson, CEO of LAT, officially presented the new aircraft: “With the investment in our new training aircraft, both LAT and the European Flight Academy are getting ready for future challenges. The strong demand for pilots and the associated growths in the upcoming years confronts us as a flight training school with special requirements. With our state-of-the-art fleet in Phoenix/USA and Rostock-Laage, we offer our student pilots as well as airlines within the Lufthansa Group a product of top quality at marketable conditions, making it unique in this form. The cost structures in Rostock-Laage are an important element for our future direction.”

The Diamond DA-42 is a twin-engined propeller plane of the latest generation. It is equipped with two strong 165 PS diesel engines and offers space for four people. Thanks to its efficient and high-performance engines, the aircraft is well-suited for the EFA pilot training on instruments. Compared to the previously used PA-44 aircraft, the DA-42 needs around one-third less fuel at high speed and disposes a 50 per cent climbing performance during a simulated engine failure. Equipped with an anti-icing system, the new aircraft type can even perform training flights during moderate icing conditions. A weather radar ensures that the flight can be operated even during windy and thundery cloud formation by avoiding these weather zones. Both aspects lead to another increase of reliability when it comes to the course management. Due to easily exchangeable components and the impact of digitalization, the maintenance work decreases significantly. The enhanced reach allows to cover an increased radius of airfields for training purposes and thus helps to decrease the noise level in the Rostock-Laage area.

The new training aircraft are also a compliment for the location in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania: “The Rostock-Laage region offers all the European Flight Academy needs. The infrastructure of our site is well developed and with the Air Wing “Steinhoff” and the civil airport company we have two strong partners on-site. Besides, the comparatively good air space availability in combination with the high number of surrounding airfields offer realistic training conditions”, says Matthias Lehmann, Managing Director of the flight school to which Rostock-Laage also belongs to.

Currently, the five Diamond aircraft are undergoing the routine licensing process for planes, which are being used as training aircraft. Until May, the training staff will be the first to get familiar with the DA-42. Afterwards, the new aircraft type will start its official training operations.