Pilot school eyes expansion
NZICPA ‘preferred bidder’ for Hawke’s Bay training provider
The Whanganui-based New Zealand International International Commercial Pilot Academy (NZICPA) could expand its operation with the purchase of a Hawkes Bay flight school.
Hawke’s Bay & East Coast Aero Club members are set to meet next week to discuss the approval of the sale of 100 per cent of the shares in Air Hawkes Bay Limited to the New Zealand International Commercial Pilot Academy (NZIPCA).
The NZICPA is owned by Whanganui District Council through its holding company, Whanganui District Council Holdings Limited.
Both NZICPA chairman David Rae and Whanganui District Council Holdings chair Declan Millan declined to comment when approached by the Chronicle.
Whanganui mayor Andrew Tripe said discussions were ongoing but it was still “very early days”.
But Air Hawke’s Bay say NZICPA is the “preferred bidder”.
Air Hawke’s Bay provides pilot flight training for domestic and international students, and in the email to members, Hawkes Bay & East Coast Aero Club president Bruce Govenlock said the committee conducted a strategic review of the club’s investment earlier this year.
“As a result of that review it became clear that the strategic direction of Air Hawke’s Bay Limited, the scale and intensity of operations and capital required no longer fitted within the aero club and aerodrome strategic plan.
Govenlock said the committee launched a process to seek expressions of interest for the purchase of the shares of Air Hawke’s Bay to test the market for a business wanting to take it “on a new trajectory with the resurgence of the international aviation market”.
It was envisaged this would see a total relocation of the business operations off the aerodrome but there was potential for a multi-site configuration with some operations remaining at Bridge Pa.
“The preferred bidder was the New Zealand International Commercial Pilot Academy Limited,” the email said.
Air Hawke’s Bay was established around 25 years ago.
What began as an air ambulance business “with bit of commercial flight training” was now exclusively a commercial flight training business.
“Our club did a review of its investment in Air Hawke’s Bay earlier this year and we came to the conclusion that it would be in the club’s interests to sell,” Govenlock told the Chronicle.
“It’s a positive environment out there now and aviation worldwide is booming again. We thought that now was the time.”
Talks were held with a number of potential buyers, Govenlock said.
“We went nationwide and overseas canvassing interest.
“Obviously, we were talking to Gerard Glanville, the CEO of the NZICPA (New Zealand International International Commercial Pilot Academy).
“Out of that, they emerged as our preferred bidder. It seemed to be a good fit.”
The transfer of students from Hawke’s Bay to Whanganui would be part of the deal, Govenlock said.
“We wanted a good outcome for them, and we were very impressed by the facilities and the professionalism of the flight school over there [Whanganui].”
“That was a big part of it.”
The NZICPA began operating in 2017, after the council’s holding company purchased the Flight Training Manawatū school in Feilding and built a training facility at Whanganui airport.
More recently, Whanganui District Council advanced the school $500,000 in interest-free loans to help it deal with the impacts of Covid-19 and the inability to bring overseas students to the academy while New Zealand’s borders were shut.