Yellowknife (Apr 09/03) - Buffalo Airways School of Aviation has been recertified by Transport Canada.

The school was inspected by auditors last month and now complies with federal requirements for an approved Aircraft Training Organization (ATO), said Kevin Deveau, Transport Canada superintendent in Yellowknife.

"As it stood when we inspected it, there were no issues to keep us from recertifying the school," said Deveau.

"It is up to them to maintain that standard and as long as they do there shouldn't be any problems at all with the company."

The school lost its accreditation last year when it failed to meet curriculum requirements for its flagship Aircraft Maintenance Engineers (AME) program.

Transport Canada also wanted stricter separation of the company's operating and training sides "for safety reasons," said Deveau.

Buffalo runs a busy general cargo operation and has a five-year fire-fighting contract with the GNWT.

The company maintains a fleet of 30 planes, from small four-passenger Beechcrafts through DC-3s and DC-4s.

Buffalo owner Joe McBryan said part of Buffalo's main hangar has now been sectioned off for use by the school and plans are in the works for construction of a new one.

The firm has applied to the Department of Transport for a land-use permit for an 18,000 square foot hangar to be built this year pending approval.

Other changes at the school include the addition of two Bell helicopters, purchased as training aids at cost of $200,000.

The school has continued instruction for six AME students while restructuring.

All will complete the two-year program next month.

With recertification, the school rather than the DOT will administer their final exams, said McBryan.

"It also means that as an approved post-secondary training centre, our students qualify for student loans.

"We have 12 new AME students starting in a month, so that is significant."

McBryan said Buffalo was one of a number of aviation schools across the country to run afoul of new federal regulations.

The firm has been training aviation mechanics since the 1970s.

The School of Aviation was formally certified in 1999 and the company has invested about $1.2 million in the centre since, said McBryan.

Graduates from the AME program are in high demand in the territory.

"When our last class graduated we had 33 expressions of interest from potential employers."

The school offers 23 other aviation programs, including training for fire fighting, management and technical, and entrance-level jobs.

"We will have about 300 students go through here this year."

The school receives $100,000 a year from the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, and $75,000 from Aurora College, for the provision of training services. Another $250,000 a year comes from the GNWT's department of resources, wildlife, and economic development.

Buffalo is currently developing a curriculum for aviation parts people that will break new industry ground, said McBryan.

"To be a heavy equipment parts person you have to go through a formal apprenticeship program.

"Strangely, there is no training program for aviation parts people. This will be a first."