United Kingdom

The Air Charter Association ushers in the next generation of aviation professionals

Leading global trade body, The Air Charter Association (The ACA), has finalised its 2025 Internship intake, and will be hosting its training week at London Biggin Hill Airport in August 2025.

The ACA Internship programme, established in 2024, supports the development of the next generation of air charter professionals. It provides an opportunity for young people aged 18-25 to access dedicated aviation training and professional experience with industry leading companies.

The internship acts as a valuable springboard to gain the knowledge, skills and contacts needed to navigate a challenging employment landscape.

This year’s internship intake of 15 young people - six females and nine males - is a mix of school leavers, university students and graduates. All the selected interns have demonstrated a keen interest in the air charter sector with focus areas including broking, operations management and engineering/maintenance.

The training week will provide exposure and introduce interns to the various elements of the air charter industry, building a foundation of aviation knowledge early on in their career. Detailed insights into the evolving aviation sector will be delivered by expert guest speakers from member companies of The ACA. Interns will also have the opportunity to tour a range of facilities, FBOs, and aircraft operators based at London Biggin Hill Airport.

Following the training week, each of the 15 interns will undertake a work placement with one of The ACA’s 440 member companies, enabling them to gain first-hand practical experience of working in the industry and develop relationships with key industry players.

In November 2025, the interns will be invited to attend the prestigious Air Charter Excellence Awards, providing them with a fantastic opportunity to network with circa 500 leading air charter professionals and to have their internship showcased to the audience.

As part of the internship scheme, the group will undertake an aviation focused research project, the winner of which will be announced at the Excellence Awards.

The winner of the 2024 intern project competition was William Bush, who has recently been offered a summer contract with Gama Aviation prior to starting university. Gama Aviation is a leading aircraft operator providing a range of charter, aircraft management and special mission services including air ambulance, government and police missions.

Glenn Hogben, CEO, The Air Charter Association, says: “The ultimate goal of the internship programme is to support talented young people into employment within the air charter sector and so it is fantastic to see the value of the programme in delivering opportunities for young people. The internship class of 2025 has a great mix of aspiring aviation professionals, and I am looking forward to engaging with them further at the upcoming training week.”