The Minister of Territory and Sustainability, Damià Calvet, and the Minister of Work, Social Affairs and Families, Chakir el Homrani, have visited the future school of aeronautical mechanics of the School of Aeronautical Training of Vilanova i la Geltrú (EFAV), which will open its doors in the first quarter of 2021 at Lleida-Alguaire Airport. The event was also attended by the President of the Diputació de Lleida, Joan Talarn, and the Mayor of Vilanova i la Geltrú, Olga Arnau, as well as the Mayor of Alguaire, Antoni Perea.

The school was born thanks to the impetus and collaboration of various public administrations that have opted to install it at Lleida-Alguaire airport, as its environment of aeronautical activity makes it an ideal space for to schedule occupational training courses for mechanical personnel in aeronautical maintenance.

Lleida-Alguaire airport is currently developing a co-working space to host training and technological projects linked to the aeronautical industry: there will be a meeting space and theoretical classes on one of the floors of the control tower and part of the old warehouse will be converted into practice space and warehouse. A total of 870m2 will be renovated (in a first phase) and the tender budget for these works has been 49,343.81 euros.

The installation of this school at the airport of Lleida-Alguaire is a training opportunity for the counties of Lleida in a sector with good expectations for the future and growing, with a very high rate of employment in an area which is also in a context of generational shift.

The Public Employment Service of Catalonia (SOC) and the School of Aeronautical Training of Vilanova reinforce the training offer in aeronautics with the Certificate of Professionalism of Auxiliary Operations of Aeronautical Maintenance that will be taught at Lleida Airport -Alguaire.

The studies of the EFAV, in addition, are recognized and endorsed at state and European level, the school has a very interesting network of collaborations and synergies with companies and organizations of the aeronautical sector, and the students have an index of 100% job placement.

Lleida-Alguaire aerodrome hosts the second headquarters of the EFAV thanks to the agreement signed last June between Aeroports de Catalunya and Vilanova City Council for the establishment of a training school for aeronautical mechanics in Alguaire .

Training projects such as the one presented today are the basis for the success of the strategic reorientation of Lleida-Alguaire airport as an industrial, technological and training platform, at the service of the aeronautical industry.

In the field of training, the EFAV joins the current airport-based pilot schools: BAA Training, which belongs to the Lithuanian aviation group Avia Solutions Group, and the BCN Flight School, owned by the Barcelona Sabadell Aeroclub.

The presence of a school of maintenance technicians in Lleida-Alguaire, in this case, has been a decisive element for Avia Solutions Group to decide on the creation of a new aircraft maintenance company, which will be based on the Lleida-Alguaire airport facilities, occupying one of the hangars that have recently been installed at the airport.