Our history

A heritage of passion for aviation training

The beginning

In the 1970s, a few major European National Aviation Authorities started to join activities and founded the Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA), with the objective of a cooperative safety regulatory system to achieve uniform high standards of aviation safety. At the same time, the JAA would play a role as the European counterpart of the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). In the following years, both organisations worked closely together in harmonising rules and regulations where possible, while Bilateral Agreements were signed with other Aviation Authorities, like Transport Canada.

The first courses

During the mid-1990’s, the JAA started the first training activities as workshops for Civil Aviation Authorities, to provide transparency and help with implementation of the Joint Aviation Requirements (JARs). Such activities soon became well-known and Aviation Industry Representatives requested participation in the workshops. These activities then transferred into a number of JAA Training Courses, starting with the Maintenance and Certification courses, later developing in other areas as well.

Headquarters JAA in Hoofddorp

In August 1991 JAA based their headquarters in Hoofddorp, The Netherlands, and more and more European National Aviation Authorities (NAA) became a JAA Member State. However, the rules and regulations recommended for adoption by JAA were not mandatory and each JAA-NAA could still keep their national legislation when preferred.

Establishment of EASA and transfer of training activities to JAA TO

A new framework for aviation safety in Europe, created by the adoption of EC Regulation 1592/2002 (Basic Regulation) of 15 July 2002 on common rules in the field of civil aviation, led to the establishment of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), whose adopted rules and regulations are mandatory for each Member State.

As a consequence, as of autumn 2003, JAA’s rulemaking activities were gradually transferred to EASA, while the upcoming close-down of the former JAA-system was processed by means of a transition phase. In August of 2005, the first FUJA (Future of JAA) Working Group was established. Their Report was presented to the 44 ECAC Directors General (DGs). The conclusion of the Report was that, as of the 1st of January 2007, a new JAA-T (Transition) structure would be introduced with a separate JAA Liaison Office (LO), based at EASA’s premises in Cologne, Germany, and a JAA Training Office (TO), based in Hoofddorp, The Netherlands. JAA-T remained a non-profit Dutch Foundation registered in the Netherlands.

In 2008, a second FUJA Report was written to further refine the end-date of the JAA Regulatory Responsibilities and to determine the future positioning of JAA TO (to be renamed JAA Training Organisation).

With the publication of the revised EC Regulation 1592/2002 on 19 of March 2008, EASA took over all regulatory responsibilities, which were previously in the hands of JAA. At the ECAC Directors General meeting of 19 March 2008, it was decided that the JAA Liaison Office in Cologne would be disbanded by 30 June 2009.

JAA Training Organisation and ECAC

In 2009, the JAA Training Organisation continued its activities in the legal form of a Dutch Foundation. JAA TO got registered as a non-profit foundation, established under the laws of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. On 20 January 2009, JAA TO also became an associated body of ECAC, with the "Arrangements between ECAC and JAA TO" signed by both parties in Paris.

Since JAA TO became an associated body of ECAC, it has been growing and it has been awarded and recognised by the most important institutions and organisations in the aviation sector. It has developed relationships within the aviation industry globally and with regional training centers.

Milestones of the JAA Training Organisation

• In 2012, JAA TO became the first European full member of the ICAO TRAINAIR PLUS Program (TPP), and a member of its Steering Committee since its inception.
• In 2014, JAA TO became the first ICAO Regional Training Center of Excellence (RTCE) in Europe after fulfilling a series of high-level criteria.
• In 2015, JAA TO was awarded for training the highest number of course participants in an online ICAO TRAINAIR PLUS Standardized Training Package (STP): the Instructional Competencies course, developed by JAA TO's Course Development Unit (CDU) in cooperation with ICAO.
• Also in 2015, JAA TO became the leading member of the EASA Virtual Academy (EVA) and an EASA-approved Ramp Inspection Training Organisation (RITO) - for full practical and recurrent courses. 
• In 2018, JAA TO started developing an AVSEC portfolio and delivered the first courses.
• In December 2018, JAA TO received its second award by ICAO's Global Aviation Training (GAT), for the highest number of trained professionals in the ICAO Training Managers Course (TMC).
• In 2019, JAA TO established its new state-of-the-art Training Centre.
• In December 2019, JAA TO received its second consecutive ICAO GAT award for for the highest number of trained professionals in the ICAO Training Managers Course (TMC).