Alt. Academy

What Alt. Academy does

Alt. Academy, the consumer-facing brand of EPT Aviation Training (Pty) Ltd, is a South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA)-approved Aviation Training Organisation (approval SACAA/1029/ATO) operating from a single campus in Rhodesfield, Kempton Park, Johannesburg. Founded in 2012 and originally focused on cabin crew licensing under the EPT Aviation brand, the company expanded in 2024 into pilot training through the newly launched Alt Academy Flight Training division (covering PPL, Night Rating, CPL, Multi-Engine/Instrument Rating, and B737 CL/NG and A320 type ratings), and into broader workforce training through the EPT Skills Hub sub-brand, which delivers SETA-approved occupational certificates in travel, tourism, ground crew, administration, and project management. A third product layer comprises recurring/recurrent training for licensed professionals via the trademarked ALTExtend® CRM and proficiency-check programmes.

The technology footprint combines a blended-learning e-learning portal (flightpath.altacademy.com) with physical training assets — a fully operational cabin simulator on site, simulator facilities at Brakpan and Springs Airfields, and a small in-house fleet of Cessna 172 and Diamond DA42 diesel-powered aircraft. Differentiated commercial offerings include the trademarked Alt Assure® suite of training-insurance products (Remedial, Compliance, and Readiness Assure) that wrap financial protection around tuition. The company also extends type-rating curricula into Indian DGCA-aligned programmes, indicating selective cross-border commercial reach beyond South Africa.

The business operates a direct-to-consumer, sales-led go-to-market: prospective students request quotes via dedicated estimator portals (estimator.altacademy.com), phone, or email, and inside-sales personnel manage conversion. Pricing is uniformly contact-based and undisclosed; revenue is generated as professional-services fees per programme. Customer segments span aspiring professional pilots, prospective and re-qualifying cabin crew, SETA-track vocational learners, and licensed aviation professionals in need of recurrent training. The company is privately held, with no disclosed institutional ownership, funding rounds, or parent entity.

Name

Alt. Academy

Legal name

EPT Aviation

Website

https://altacademy.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Alt. Academy, the aviation-training brand of South African SACAA-approved EPT Aviation, delivers pilot licensing (PPL through type ratings), cabin crew training, and SETA occupational certificates to individual students from its Johannesburg campus.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aviation Training Services

NAICS

Flight Training (611512), Technical and Trade Schools (61151), Other Technical and Trade Schools (611519)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Aviation & Aerospace (EDABALAC)

Keywords

• Aviation training services
• Pilot license courses
• Cabin crew training
• Type rating programs
• Flight school

Headquarters

HQ city

Kempton Park

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Aviation Training Services: Primary revenue from aviation training courses including pilot training (PPL, CPL, Multi-Engine/Instrument Rating), cabin crew licensing, and type rating programmes. Course fees are charged per programme with contact-based pricing.
2. Occupational Certificate Programmes: Revenue from SETA-approved occupational certificates including Travel Professional, Tourist Information Officer, Airline Ground Crew, Office Administrator, Management Assistant, and Project Manager courses.
3. Training Insurance Products: Alt Assure® products provide financial protection for training-related risks including remedial training costs, course failure retake expenses, and employer training investment protection.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Alt. Academy, operated by EPT Aviation, is a SACAA-approved aviation training academy in South Africa delivering pilot licensing (PPL, Night Rating, CPL, Multi-Engine/Instrument Rating), aircraft type rating programmes for Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 CL/NG, and SACAA-licensed cabin crew training in both full-time classroom and blended e-learning formats. Through its EPT Skills Hub sub-brand, the academy also offers SETA-approved occupational certificates in travel, tourism, office administration, management assistance and project management for aviation and travel industry careers.

Product overview

Alt. Academy (operated by EPT Aviation) offers a comprehensive aviation education platform consisting of three primary divisions: Alt Academy Flight Training provides pilot licensing from PPL through CPL/IR, along with aircraft type ratings (A320, B737 CL/NG) with simulator training; Cabin Crew Training delivers SACAA-approved cabin crew licensing in full-time and blended formats; and the EPT Skills Hub offers occupational certificates in travel, tourism, and administrative fields. Additional offerings include ALTExtend® soft skills programs, Alt Assure® training insurance products, and licence validation services. The company operates a training fleet of Cessna 172 and Diamond DA42 aircraft with a fully operational cabin simulator at its Johannesburg facility.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ALTExtend: Soft skills training programs including CRM Initial, CRM Refresher, RVSM/CFIT/GPWS, ACAS/TCAS/AWOPS, pilot proficiency checks, and emergency procedure training.
• Alt Assure
• ALT Re-validation & Refresher Courses

Products and services

• Alt Academy Flight Training Comprehensive pilot training programmes including Private Pilot Licence (PPL), Night Rating, Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL), and Multi-Engine/Instrument Rating courses, approved by the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) under ICAO standards.
• Cabin Crew Licensing Learning Programme – Blended Learning Hybrid SACAA cabin crew licensing course with 8 weeks of online e-learning via the flightpath.altacademy.com portal and 2 weeks of mandatory classroom and fully operational cabin simulator training at EPT Aviation facilities; covers firefighting, emergency evacuations, first aid, dangerous goods, decompression, ditching, survival and security.
• Initial Type Training Programmes Initial type rating courses for Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 CL/NG aircraft, including Indian DGCA-aligned programmes with full ground school and simulator training.
• Requalification Type Training Programmes Pilot requalification courses for Boeing 737 CL/NG and Airbus A320 for pilots who have lapsed type ratings, including full ground school and simulator training.
• Jet Type Rating Differences Qualification Differences training for pilots transitioning between Boeing 737 CL and 737 NG aircraft series, covering systems, procedures and handling characteristics.
• Alt Assure® Training Insurance Products Training insurance protection products including Remedial Assure® (covers remedial training costs), Compliance Assure® (covers costs of retaking failed courses), and Readiness Assure® (protects employers during pilot line-integration training).
• ALTExtend® Soft Skills Programmes Aviation soft-skills training under the ALTExtend® brand, including CRM Initial, CRM Refresher, RVSM/CFIT/GPWS Combos, ACAS/TCAS/AWOPS programmes, and aircraft-specific proficiency checks for B737 CL/NG and A320.
• Licence Validation Programmes License revalidation and refresher courses including the Aviation Licence Revalidation Course, Interview Preparation for Boeing 737 or Airbus A320, and CRM Refresher Program delivered under the ALT Re-validation & Refresher Courses brand.
• EPT Skills Hub Occupational Certificate Programmes SETA-approved occupational certificate programmes including Travel Professional, Tourist Information Officer, Airline Ground Crew, Office Administrator, Management Assistant and Project Manager courses, focused on careers in the aviation and travel industry (e.g., 12-month Project Manager Occupational Certificate).

Quantifiable outcome

• Hundreds of cabin crew members graduate annually with SACAA cabin crew license
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• 43 Air School: South African SACAA-accredited pilot training school offering PPL, CPL, and instructor ratings with its own fleet. Closest domestic direct competitor to Alt Academy in the South African ab-initio pilot training market.
• Flight Training College (FTC): South African aviation training organization offering integrated pilot training and type ratings, operating under SACAA approval. Directly competes with Alt Academy for both ab-initio and type rating students in the same regulatory environment.
• Global Training College: South African SACAA and SETA accredited training organization referenced in Alt Academy's own materials as a peer provider of aviation and occupational certificate programs. Overlapping product set and target customers.

Emerging players

• SkyGuard Aviation: Aviation training brand co-marketed via Alt Academy's estimator portal, suggesting partnership or sibling offering in the South African pilot training ecosystem. Comparable training scope for aspiring commercial pilots.

Broad incumbents

• CAE: Global leader in aviation training with a large simulator network and ab-initio pilot programs. Represents the upper-bound incumbent whose type rating and crew training services compete for the same airline-sponsored students as Alt Academy.
• ATP Flight School: Largest flight training organization in the United States, offering accelerated pilot programs from PPL through CFI. Comparable in training methodology and serves as a benchmark for volume-based flight school economics.
• FlightSafety International: Major global aviation training provider specializing in type ratings, recurrent, and CRM training. Competes with Alt Academy's ALTExtend® and type rating offerings for the active-pilot segment.
• Pan Am International Flight Academy: Pilot training academy offering integrated ab-initio and type rating programs with simulator-based training. Comparable product mix to Alt Academy's flight training and CRM offerings.
• Lufthansa Aviation Training: European-based aviation training organization offering ab-initio pilot training and type ratings. Indirect competitor for international students who might otherwise consider South African-based Alt Academy.

Regional players

• Airways Aviation: International flight training group with academies in multiple geographies (including Europe and MENA), offering integrated ATPL programs. Comparable in scale and international student model to Alt Academy's India-aligned offering.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/EPTAviation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/alt-academy-training
• Instagraminstagram.com/eptaviationtraining/?hl=en

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Alt. Academy