Australian Airline Pilot Academy (AAPA)

Australia · CASA Part 141/142

OperatingAustralia

The Australian Airline Pilot Academy (AAPA) is a flight training college owned by Regional Express (Rex), Australia's largest independent regional airline. Its main campus is at Wagga Wagga Airport in New South Wales, with a second campus at Ballarat Airport in Victoria.

AAPA was relocated from Mangalore to Wagga Wagga Airport in 2009 and its purpose-built campus was officially opened in May 2010. It trains cadet pilots through to commercial standard and feeds a fast-track cadet pathway into Rex's Saab 340 airline operations. Training aircraft have included Piper Warriors, Piper Seminoles, Cessna 172s and King Airs. In November 2019 AAPA acquired the former ST Aerospace Academy Australia at Ballarat Airport, adding it as a second campus. The academy operates under Australian CASA regulation.

School facts

Country	Australia
Region	New South Wales
Base airport	Wagga Wagga Airport (YSWG)
Regulator	CASA Part 141/142
Courses	RPL PPL CPL IR (MECIR) Integrated airline cadet program
Fleet	16 Piper Warriors (single-engine) and 4 Piper Seminoles (multi-engine)
Partnerships	Regional Express (Rex) - owner/operator Viet Flight Training (Vietnam) partner
Founded	2007
Website	aapa.net.au

Key facts

Main campus at Wagga Wagga Airport, New South Wales; second campus at Ballarat Airport, Victoria
Owned by Regional Express (Rex), Australia's largest independent regional airline
Wagga Wagga campus officially opened in May 2010 after relocating from Mangalore
Fleet has included Piper Warrior, Piper Seminole, Cessna 172 and King Air aircraft
Offers a cadet fast-track pathway into Rex Saab 340 airline operations
Acquired the former ST Aerospace Academy Australia at Ballarat in 2019

Frequently asked questions

Who owns the Australian Airline Pilot Academy?

AAPA is owned by Regional Express (Rex), Australia's largest independent regional airline.

Where is AAPA based?

Its main campus is at Wagga Wagga Airport in New South Wales, with a second campus at Ballarat Airport in Victoria.

Does AAPA lead to an airline job?

Yes. AAPA offers a cadet fast-track pathway into Rex's Saab 340 regional airline operations.

What aircraft does AAPA use?

Its training fleet has included Piper Warriors, Piper Seminoles, Cessna 172s and King Airs.

Sources

Last verified 2026-07-13. Professionally-public, sourced information only.