Vertical Mag
• Oliver Johnson
The U.S. Army has awarded its contested Flight School Next contract to M1 Support Services, selecting the company for a program valued at up to $10 billion. The award establishes M1 as the Army’s provider for the next phase of military flight-training support.
Workforce & Skills Development
Latest source-backed stories
The U.S. Army has awarded its contested Flight School Next contract to M1 Support Services, selecting the company for a program valued at up to $10 billion. The award establishes M1 as the Army’s provider for the next phase of military flight-training support.
Earth observation markets will expand commercially only when standards make data usable, comparable and accountable, argues Karolina Sarna. The analysis shifts attention from satellite deployment to the jobs, governance and market infrastructure required to turn Earth-observation capabilities into sustained demand.
High activity
Bargaining Unit Councils at the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace voted against a tentative agreement, citing lingering resentment over past contracts, comparisons with the 2024 IAM 751 deal and poor communications. The vote suggests the agreement faces a difficult path to ratification.
Eleven pilots resigned from Air Botswana between January and June 2026, worsening an existing cockpit-crew shortage, Botswana’s transport and infrastructure minister told parliament. The staffing losses have compounded fleet constraints, contributing to irregular operations and disruptions to the airline’s published schedules.
A UK military aircrew training system is being positioned as a potential international defense-services offering, with its industry provider identifying a “sizeable opportunity” to support other nations. The initiative could extend the system’s value beyond domestic training and create a new avenue for defense-sector growth.
A U.S. Department of Transportation campaign is directing video-game players toward careers in air traffic control, with more than 2,000 gamers recruited as candidates. The effort highlights gaming skills as a potential pathway into the airport and airspace-management workforce.
Providers of the UK Military Flying Training System detail current activity across a 110-aircraft fleet as the system enters its second decade. The RAF’s requirement to replace the BAE Systems Hawk is sharpening attention on the future structure, capacity and industrial base for military aircrew training.
Ryanair is facing group litigation in London’s Commercial Court from 262 former pilots who allege the Irish low-cost carrier denied them statutory employment benefits while they worked as contractors. The case could bring renewed scrutiny to the airline’s use of contractor arrangements and associated employment obligations.
Create a free account to see more recent Workforce & Skills Development stories and keep bookmarks in one place.
