| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aviation services |
| Founded | 1993 |
| Founders | David George, Bernie Duffield |
| Headquarters | Epsom, United Kingdom |
Key people | David George (Chief Executive Officer) |
| Services | Pilot recruitment, Engineer recruitment, Aircraft leasing, Aviation management, Aviation finance, Training programs |
Number of employees | 25 |
| Subsidiaries |
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| Website | brookfieldav.com |
Brookfield Aviation International is a UK-based aviation services company, that provides specialised services in pilot and engineer recruitment, aircraft leasing, and aviation management and finance. The company received global attention in the 2010s when it was investigated by British and German authorities for facilitating tax evasion by airlines through its crew hiring arrangements. [1]
Brookfield Aviation was founded in 1993 by David George and Bernie Duffield. Since then, it has supplied more than 250 airlines and aviation companies. Its first client was Fokker Aircraft company in the Netherlands. In 1994, the company relocated from London to Epsom. [2] [3] By 1995, Brookfield Aviation had expanded its client base to include airlines in India, Europe, Africa and South America. During 1999–2000, the company hired over 40 JAT pilots in response to the war in Yugoslavia. [4]
In the aftermath of 9/11, between 2001 and 2003, Brookfield Aviation acquired new clients in Russia, Ukraine, and Moldova. [5] In 2002, Brookfield established Brookfield Railsearch and signed contracts with numerous railway companies. [6]
By 2003, the aviation business recovered, and Brookfield recruited hundreds more pilots from Europe, the USA, and Brazil. In July 2005, the company moved to its current headquarters at 122a High Street, Epsom. [7] During the 2000s, Brookfield was one of the recruiting agencies that hired pilots on behalf of Ryanair. According to The New York Times, pilots were instructed to declare themselves as self-employed; Brookfield used limited companies to contract piloting services to Ryanair, with Brookfield accounting for as much as half of Ryanair's flight deck crew corps. [1] [8] British and German authorities investigated Brookfield for tax evasion and raided Ryanair's German locations. [1]
In 2007, the company conducted its first business tour of China, establishing relationships with airlines such as Hainan Airlines, Air China, Shanghai Airlines, and China Eastern. From 2009 to 2015, Brookfield Aviation established the Brookfield Aviation Foundation, raising funds for charitable causes. In 2010, Brookfield Aviation, in collaboration with Nouvelair Tunisie, established the Safe Flight Academy in Tunisia. [9] [10]
Between 2012 and 2013, Brookfield expanded its reach in the Asia Pacific region, acquiring new clients from national airlines in Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Laos, and Myanmar. By this time, more than 2,500 pilots and engineers were operating under Brookfield contracts. In June 2015, co-founder Bernie Duffield died, [11] and David George became the sole director of Brookfield Aviation and began building a new management team. [12] In 2016, four new Brookfield companies were incorporated, including Brookfield Leasing, A.M.E., Far East, and Education. [13] In February 2016, the first edition of Brookfield Aviation News was published, and in 2017, the inaugural "British Aviation Experience" event took place. [14] [15]
From 2016 to 2024, Brookfield continued to expand its teams in Colombia, Vietnam, India, and other countries. New clients during this period included British Airways, DHL, Avianca, Bombardier, Royal Jordanian, Lufthansa Technik, Turkish Airlines, and numerous airlines in the USA. [16]
The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020–2021 led to widespread contract cancellations or suspensions, with most employees working remotely during that period. In 2023, Brookfield Leasing transitioned into Brookfield Aviation Finance, with new projects in aviation business sales, mergers and acquisitions, and aviation investment. [17]
Brookfield Aviation International offers a wide range of services. [18] [19] Among these services are: pilot recruitment across all commercial aircraft types, [20] engineer recruitment, [21] , aviation management staffing, [22] aircraft leasing, [23] pilot and engineer training, [24] and aviation sector business financing, [25] The company also operates "The British Aviation Experience", a professional aviation program tailored for 14-18-year-olds. [26] [27]