EATS Collaboration Creates New Hub for Pilot Training in the Faroes

Our events, WATS, APATS and EATS, exist to bring the global aviation training community together. Airlines, ATOs, technology providers, regulators, and charities meet to share ideas and find solutions to the challenges facing our industry. These gatherings are where conversations turn into capability. The story that follows, shared by Halldale’s charitable partner, Wings for Warriors, shows exactly what that looks like in practice.

For Wings for Warriors, a UK-based charity that supports wounded, injured and sick service personnel into new careers as commercial pilots, EATS 2025 in Cascais, Portugal, proved to be the start of a journey that led to one of the most remarkable training facilities in Europe.

Mark Radcliffe, Director of Wings for Warriors, explains:

“Running Wings for Warriors for nearly fifteen years now, I have long come to understand the importance of expectation management. Many want to help, though few follow through. When Atlantic Airways stopped by our stand at EATS 2025 and offered to host us at their brand-new training facility in the Faroe Islands, it was therefore accompanied with a healthy pinch of salt.”

However, a few weeks later, Mark found himself boarding an immaculate Airbus A320neo bound for Vágar, alongside Matt, a former Commando who was badly wounded in Afghanistan before being supported through his pilot training by the charity.

“Though we’d both travelled extensively, as we stepped off the plane we were instantly in awe. Vágar is just one of 18 islands that form the Faroes archipelago and though it hosts the main international airport, it felt more like something out of a Tolkien novel than the industrial transport hub we had boarded our flight at.”

The Faroes are rugged and spectacular, but what impressed Mark and Matt most was the welcome they received and the operational ethos of Atlantic Airways. This is not your typical airline. It connects remote communities, provides subsidised helicopter transport, and delivers 24-hour search and rescue capability across the islands and into the North Atlantic.

“Everyone seemed utterly committed to the cause, with engineers donning spanners on the A320 one minute and then flippers the next, called out in their secondary roles as Rescue Swimmers. Even the airline’s Head of Training, Hans Erik Jakobsen, remains on standby to fly the AW139 rescue helicopter at a moment’s notice.”

Built on a hillside overlooking Vágar Airport, the new Atlantic Airways Aviation Academy combines warm timber and glass architecture with cutting-edge technology. With a clear purpose to produce the best pilots anywhere in the industry.

The academy operates brand-new Airbus A320neo and Thales AW139 full-flight simulators, offering type ratings, APS MCC courses, and mixed reality training for helicopter rescue crews. EASA approvals are already in place, with UK CAA certification expected early in 2026. Plans for additional simulator halls are underway, and with an on-site pilot hotel, training packages are simple and cost-effective.

“I was utterly blown away by the Faroes, the people and what Atlantic Airways are doing with their new training academy. No doubt about it, when Wings for Warriors needs APS MCC courses, we’ll be getting in touch with Hans Erik and his team.”

This story captures what our events are all about. When the industry comes together, sharing experience, needs and ideas, connections turn into solutions. In this case, a conversation at EATS became a partnership that supports veteran pilots, strengthens training capacity, and sets a new benchmark for operational excellence.

Our next opportunity to make these connections is WATS 2026 in Florida, followed by APATS and EATS later in the year. Join us and be part of the next success story.

(This article includes excerpts provided by Mark Radcliffe, Director of Wings for Warriors, following EATS 2025.)