What Westair does

Westair Flying School Ltd. operates a vertically integrated aviation services business from Hangar 8 at Blackpool Airport in Lancashire, North West England. It is a CAA Approved Training Organisation (ATO) with Part CAO approval for aircraft maintenance under 5,700kg and ELCAS approval for Armed Forces trainees, and it has been family-owned across four generations of the Westoby family since the 1930s, with John Westoby as Managing Director and Chief Flying Instructor and his son Jonathan Westoby representing the fourth generation. The training fleet comprises Cessna, Diamond (DA40, DA50) and Piper aircraft equipped with Garmin G1000 avionics and a Garmin procedural trainer, supported by a Boeing 737-800 fixed-base simulator housed in sister company 737Pro Ltd. and a VR combat simulator for experience days. The company also holds Diamond servicing rights via a partnership with Triple J Aviation Engineering.

Westair's product surface spans modular pilot training from trial lessons and PPL/NPPL through to Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL), Instrument Rating (IR), Night Rating and the Flight Instructor (Rating) course — explicitly marketed at roughly £30,000 cheaper than integrated ATPL routes — plus B2C trial lessons and gift experiences, Boeing 737-800 simulator sessions through 737Pro Ltd., VR combat sessions, Part CAO aircraft maintenance and airworthiness management contracts, corporate hangarage at Blackpool and Barton Aerodrome, and merchandise. The pricing model is primarily usage-based pay-as-you-go for flight hours and instruction, with subscription-based airworthiness management from £60/month and an annual membership of £165. Customers span individual aspirational and commercial pilot trainees, gift and consumer experience buyers, corporate and team-building clients, schools, Armed Forces personnel using ELCAS, and aircraft owners requiring maintenance or hangarage across the North West.

Name

Westair

Legal name

Westair Flying School Ltd.

Website

https://westair.uk.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1930

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Westair Flying School Ltd. is a four-generation family-owned CAA-approved flight training organisation at Blackpool Airport, delivering modular pilot training, simulator experiences, Diamond maintenance, and hangarage to students, consumers, and corporate clients across North West England.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Flight Training Services

NAICS

Flight Training (611512), Support Activities for Air Transportation (4881), Other Support Activities for Air Transportation (48819)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Aviation Pilot & Crew Staffing/Training Services (THABAFAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Aviation & Aerospace (EDABALAC), Aircraft Inspection, Quality Assurance & Airworthiness (IA Prep) (EDAOAFAE)

Keywords

• Flight training services
• Commercial pilot training
• Trial flying lessons
• Aircraft maintenance
• Aviation experience days

Headquarters

HQ city

Blackpool

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Flight Training Services: PPL, LAPL, NPPL, CPL, IR(R), Night Rating, and Flight Instructor training delivered as modular courses. Revenue from aircraft hire, instruction fees, and theory exams.
2. Trial Lessons and Experience Days: One-time flying experiences including trial lessons (30-60 min), half-day experiences, VR combat simulator, and 737 simulator experiences sold via shop with e-vouchers.
3. Aircraft Maintenance Services: Part CAO approved maintenance for aircraft under 5,700kg including defect rectification, scheduled maintenance, ARC issuance, and airworthiness management contracts starting from £60/month.
4. Aircraft Hangarage: Premium hangar facilities at Blackpool Airport and Barton Aerodrome for aircraft storage.
5. Corporate Services: Charter brokerage, crewing solutions, aircraft management, and corporate event hosting including team building in simulators.
6. Merchandise and Memberships: Aviation-themed merchandise (keyrings, t-shirts, pilot wings badges, LEGO sets) and annual memberships.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Westair is a CAA Approved Training Organisation delivering modular private and commercial flight training (PPL, NPPL, Night Rating, IR(R), CPL, Flight Instructor Rating, Glass Cockpit and Diamond conversion courses) from Blackpool Airport using Cessna, Diamond and Piper aircraft. Alongside training it sells trial lessons and aviation experience days (including 737 and VR simulator experiences), operates a Part CAO-approved aircraft maintenance and airworthiness management division, and provides corporate aviation services such as hangarage, charter brokerage, crewing and aircraft management.

Product overview

Westair is a flight training organization offering a comprehensive portfolio of aviation services through multiple interconnected product lines. The core offering centers on flight training programs spanning from introductory trial lessons through to professional Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) and Instrument Rating (IR) qualifications, delivered using a fleet of Cessna and Diamond aircraft from Blackpool Airport. Supporting the training operations are simulator experiences including a Boeing 737-800 full-motion simulator operated through sister company 737Pro, and VR combat simulators for team building. The company also operates a Part CAO-approved aircraft engineering division providing maintenance and airworthiness management services, alongside corporate aviation services including hangarage and aircraft management. The product ecosystem is tied together through an e-commerce shop selling experience vouchers, memberships, and pilot merchandise.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 737Pro: Sister company offering Boeing 737-800 simulator experiences and commercial dry hire. Located at Westair's Blackpool facility.

Products and services

• Trial Flying Lessons Introductory flying experiences for individuals, framed either as a once-in-a-lifetime gift or an introduction to aviation as a hobby. Available as 30-minute and 60-minute lessons in two-seater, four-seater and DA40 aircraft, priced £145 to £345.
• Half Day Experience Extended flying experience comprising briefing, a flight to another airport and scenic views of the British coastline. Available in two-seater, four-seater and DA40 variants priced £475 to £645, marketed as a giftable premium experience.
• Private Pilot Licence (PPL) Training Comprehensive modular flight training programme teaching students to take-off, navigate and land aircraft independently. Entry-level professional pilot qualification aimed at aspiring private pilots, delivered with dedicated instructors at Blackpool Airport.
• National Private Pilot Licence (NPPL) Training UK-specific private pilot licence training aimed at recreational flying within the United Kingdom, presented as a simplified, lower-cost route compared to the full PPL.
• Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) Training Professional pilot qualification raising flying proficiency to commercial standards. Modular course delivered over two to three weeks in Diamond DA40 and DA50 aircraft, designed as a cost-effective alternative to integrated training routes.
• Instrument Rating (IR) Training Training for flying by reference to instruments only, comprising the single largest component of commercial flight training. Available as Single Engine IR (40 hours) or Multi Engine IR (45 hours total).
• Night Rating Training Additional pilot qualification enabling flights during darkness using visual and instrument flying techniques.
• Flight Instructor (FI) Rating Training EASA Flight Instructor (Restricted) course teaching instructional standards and communication techniques for training new pilots. Launched in 2019 to support Westair's instructor pipeline and broader ATO activity.
• Glass Cockpit Conversion Training Conversion training for pilots transitioning from analogue instruments to modern glass cockpit aircraft with digital avionics displays.
• Diamond Aircraft Conversion Training Specialized training for operating Diamond DA40 and DA50 aircraft equipped with Garmin G1000 avionics.
• 737 Simulator Experience (737Pro) Boeing 737-800NG fixed-base simulator experience offered through sister company 737Pro Ltd. Experience sessions available in 30, 60, 90 and 120-minute formats priced £95 to £240.
• VR Combat Simulator Experience State-of-the-art virtual reality combat simulator for team building and individual experiences, featuring aerobatics, air-to-air combat and multiplayer scenarios in 45, 60 and 75-minute sessions priced £75 to £115.
• 737 Simulator Hire Dry hire of the Boeing 737-800 simulator for commercial training, airline pilot recurrent training and type rating preparation.
• Westair Engineering Services Aircraft maintenance services under Part CAO approval (UK.CAO.0096) for aircraft under 5,700kg, covering regular maintenance, defect rectification, ARC issues and extensions, and airworthiness management contracts from £60/month + VAT, delivered from Blackpool and Barton Aerodrome.
• Corporate Aviation Services Bundled offering of corporate aviation solutions including aircraft hangarage at Blackpool Airport and Barton Aerodrome, charter brokerage, crewing solutions, full aircraft management, aircraft sales, and corporate team building events using flight simulators.
• Ground School (Theory Exam Preparation) PPL written exam preparation courses covering all theoretical knowledge subjects, offered seasonally with classroom-based instruction and CAA theory exam administration (£40 per exam).

Quantifiable outcome

• Modular training costs approximately £60,000 vs £100,000 integrated route
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• 737Pro Ltd.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister company offering 737-800 simulator experience days and commercial dry hire. Joint venture with Horizon Simulators for B737-800NG simulator development and operation based at Westair Hangar 8.
• Blackpool AirportcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHome base for Westair operations; airport is owned by Blackpool Council providing long-term security for operations; provides controlled airfield environment with tarmac runways and commercial traffic exposure.
• Civil Aviation Authority (CAA)coreTechnology or IntegrationRegulatory body for UK aviation; Westair is a CAA Approved Training Organisation (ATO) authorized to deliver pilot licensing; Part CAO approval holder for aircraft maintenance.
• Triple J Aviation Engineering Ltd (Oxford)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Triple J Aviation Engineering Ltd enables Westair to service Diamond aircraft, addressing demand from Diamond owners and operators in the more northern areas of the UK (north of Manchester/Liverpool latitude).

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Stapleford Flight Centre: Long-established Essex-based ATO delivering PPL, NPPL, CPL and instructor training. Overlaps directly with Westair on UK modular flight training and trial lesson/experience offerings.
• Flight Training Europe (FTEJerez): Spain-based integrated and modular pilot training organisation serving a largely UK/European student body. Comparable to Westair in modular training delivery, though larger and based on the continent.
• Aeros Flight Training: UK CAA ATO offering modular pilot training and instructor courses from multiple UK aerodromes. Competes with Westair for aspiring commercial pilots seeking flexible, cost-effective routes.
• Booker Flight Centre: Wycombe-based UK flying school providing PPL, LAPL, night, IR(R) and instructor courses. Similar size and product breadth to Westair with comparable fleet (Piper/Cessna/Diamond).
• Tayside Aviation: Scotland-based CAA-approved flying school offering PPL, CPL, IR and instructor training with a similar mix of recreational and career-track students. Comparable to Westair in scope, fleet mix (Diamond/Cessna), and UK regional training positioning.
• Skyborne Airline Academy: UK-based pilot training organisation (formerly known as Aviation Academy) offering both integrated and modular routes from UK bases. Closest scale and geographic comparable to Westair, competing for the same aspiring commercial pilot segment in the UK.
• Goodwood Aerodrome Flying School: CAA-approved flight school at Goodwood Aerodrome offering PPL, LAPL, night, IMC/IR(R) and instructor ratings. Directly comparable UK flight training peer with similar recreational-plus-career mix.

Broad incumbents

• FlightSafety International: World's largest commercial aviation training organisation, providing type-rating and recurrent simulator training. Comparable to the 737Pro/737-800 simulator business line but at global scale and with airline contracts Westair cannot match.
• L3Harris Airline Academy: Large integrated pilot training group (formerly CTC Aviation) with multi-base UK and European operations. Competes with Westair on the aspiring commercial pilot segment but at greater scale and with airline-cadet pipeline offerings.
• CAE: Global aviation training provider with full-motion simulators and cadet programmes. Overlaps with Westair's 737 simulator and commercial pilot training ambitions but operates at vastly greater scale across multiple training disciplines.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/westairfs
• Instagraminstagram.com/westairfly
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/flight-academy-blackpool-ltd

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Westair