
Turkish Baykar set to become new owner of Piaggio Aerospace
Italy’s Ministry of Enterprises and "Made in Italy" has approved the sale of Piaggio Aerospace to Baykar. The world’s largest UCAV company, Baykar, outbidded rivals from multiple countries in a tender for the sale of Piaggio Aerospace. Piaggio Aerospace, which was established in 1884, is best known for producing P.180 Avanti turboprops and aircraft engines. The company also plays a strategic role in Italy’s defense industry ecosystem thanks to its maintenance, repair, and overhaul services.
Noting that the company’s relaunch was guaranteed with a clear and ambitious industrial vision, Italian Minister Adolfo Urso commented that "after six years of waiting, we are giving Piaggio Aerospace, a strategic asset for our country, a future with a long-term production perspective, safeguarding corporate complexes and workforce.” With this acquisition, Baykar is set to expand its influence in the European aviation market and enhancing its production capacity. In 2023, Baykar ranked among the top 10 exporters in Türkiye across all sectors, achieving $1.8 billion in exports. According to a report by the U.S.-based think tank CNAS, Türkiye dominates 65% of the global UAV export market, with Baykar alone holding nearly 60% of the market. www.baykartech.com
EASA to launch direct accreditation of Qualified Entities
Qualified Entities are continuing to play a key role in the outsourcing strategy of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). EASA has therefore developed a streamlined system for the direct accreditation of Qualified Entities, designed to offer greater flexibility enabling faster and more efficient responses to the evolving needs of the Agency, National Competent Authorities and Industry.
The EASA will launch calls for expression of interest (CEI), inviting eligible entities to apply for accreditation to carry out certain certification and oversight tasks on behalf of EASA. The first CEI is set to be launched soon. For more details, check out the Direct accreditation of Qualified Entities page on the EASA website.
IAE and HADID partner to establish aviation academy in the UAE
Intercontinental Aviation Enterprise (IAE) and HADID International Services have announced a strategic partnership to establish the Intercontinental Aviation Academy (IAA) in the United Arab Emirates. This landmark collaboration, formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), aims to create a world-class aviation training institution to meet the growing demand for skilled professionals in the Gulf region and beyond. The academy, set to open its doors to students by late 2025, will combine IAE’s expertise in aviation education with HADID’s extensive global network and industry resources. The Intercontinental Aviation Academy’s first campus is scheduled to welcome its inaugural class in the last quarter of 2025 combining IAE’s expertise in aviation education with HADID’s extensive global network and industry resources. www.hadid.aero
People: Joerg Eberhart, new CEO ITA Airways

Following the acquisition by Deutsche Lufthansa AG (“Lufthansa”) of a 41% stake in ITA Airways share capital, the entry of the Italian airline into the Lufthansa Group, leader in European aviation, has officially been marked. The new Board of Directors of ITA Airways convened last week, appointed by the Ordinary Shareholders' Meeting of ITA Airways held on January 15 implementing the agreements entered into in June 2023 and the new corporate governance. The Board of Directors, confirming the directives provided by the Shareholders' Meeting, has appointed Sandro Pappalardo as Chairman and Joerg Eberhart as Chief Executive Officer. Joerg Eberhart (54) has been responsible for the strategic development of the Lufthansa Group as “Head of Strategy & Organizational Development” since 2021. In this role, he was largely responsible for the participation in ITA Airways. From 2014 to 2021, Joerg Eberhart was President and CEO of the Italian airline Air Dolomiti, which is also part of the Lufthansa Group in the past 26 years. At the same time, Eberhart also headed Lufthansa CityLine GmbH in Munich as Managing Director from 2015 to 2019. Since 1 January 2019, he has been focusing on strategic projects in Italy in addition to his role at Air Dolomiti. He has been a lecturer in air traffic management at the university “Politecnico di Milano” for several years. Jörg Eberhart studied business administration at the University of Tübingen and holds a pilot's license for the Airbus A320.
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