Babcock International Group has signed a contract extension to continue supporting the Royal Air Force’s Light Aircraft Flying Task (LAFT) program.
The agreement extends the company’s delivery of “essential” services for a further four years, providing air personnel with access to secure and proven flying courses.
In addition to pilot instruction, the contract covers asset management, technical support, fire and rescue services, air traffic control, and aircraft fleet supply for 13 locations in the UK.
LAFT supports up to 31,500 flight hours per day across the UK Ministry of Defence’s University Air Squadron volunteer reserve program, elementary flying training, advanced grading, and flight experience activities for all branches of the British Armed Forces as well as international partners.
To date, LAFT has accumulated more than 750,000 flight hours over two decades of service.
Babcock said the extension highlights its long-standing partnership with the Royal Air Force, describing the agreement as balancing “the assurance of an established contract” with the flexibility to meet evolving training requirements.
“This contract extension means the [Ministry of Defence] will continue to receive a dependable, high quality flying training service that supports those learning to fly,” said Tom Morton, managing director of UK aviation at Babcock.
“By maintaining strong aircraft availability and consistent instructional standards, we help create a training environment that builds confidence at every stage. Our teams bring deep experience across all aspects of flying training, and that expertise shapes the service we deliver each day.”
