Wallonia invests in aviation skills with acquisition of MD-83 training aircraft

The Wallonia Aerotraining Network (WAN), the aeronautics Skills Centre of Le Forem, has acquired a full-size McDonnell Douglas MD-83 to strengthen practical training for the region’s growing aerospace industry.

Based in Gosselies near Charleroi, WAN will use the aircraft to provide hands-on instruction in aircraft maintenance, dismantling and recycling activities, with plans to expand its use to cabin crew and ground handling training in the future.

The investment reflects the importance of the aeronautics sector in Wallonia, where around 60 companies generate nearly €2 billion in annual revenue and employ more than 7,400 people. The region is home to major aerospace employers such as Sonaca, Safran Aero Boosters, SABCA and Sabena Engineering.

According to WAN, more than 470 vacancies currently exist in the sector, particularly for aircraft maintenance technicians, structural assemblers, composite materials specialists and non-destructive testing experts. The centre reports a post-training employment rate exceeding 88%.

The acquisition also supports Wallonia’s ambitions to develop aircraft dismantling and recycling activities around the region’s airports, particularly in Charleroi. Regional authorities view the MD-83 as a strategic training asset that will help ensure a steady supply of skilled workers for one of Wallonia’s most important industrial sectors.

Founded in 1999, WAN provides around 90% of Belgium’s aeronautical training and trained more than 2,000 people in 2025 alone. During the first four months of 2026, more than 760 trainees completed programmes at the centre.