The company that provided initial flight training to Air Force pilots in Pueblo will permanently close down its local operations in the fall, raising questions about a planned program to train aviation mechanics.

CAE, a large corporation headquartered in Florida, said in a June 1 notice to the state it would close the site in Pueblo’s industrial park on Oct. 1 and lay off 58 people. 

“CAE USA has made the difficult decision to wind down operations at the Pueblo Training Center over the coming months due to recent contract and program changes,” said Samantha Golinski, the senior vice president for communications in a written statement to the Gazette. 

In 2017, the Air Force awarded Doss Aviation $290 million to provide flight training in Pueblo over ten years. CAE purchased Doss in 2021. 

Then in January, the Air Force picked a Texas-based company, U.S. Aviation Academy to provide initial pilot training for pilots. The company announced on its website that it had received an $835 million contract to provide training over 10 years. 

The state of Colorado also announced in January that Pueblo Community College expected to work with CAE on a new program to train aircraft mechanics. 

In response to questions about whether CAE would still work with PCC, the company had no comment. The company also did not answer questions about whether any training is happening at the site.

PCC had expected CAE to provide space for hands-on training as part of the planned Aviation Maintenance Technician program, said Amanda Corum, executive director of Pueblo Corporate College, a department within the community college. The department focuses on workforce training  

She was not aware of CAE’s announcement to permanently close its Pueblo location earlier this week. But expected the plans for the new program would move forward. 

“That’s not insurmountable to find another partner,” she said. 

The program already received a substantial vote of confidence from the Colorado Economic Development Commission, which approved $471,423 in November to support the program. The money was expected to cover staff wages, renovations, equipment, and curriculum development, a news release said, to help support economic opportunity and new high-paying jobs.     

An ongoing renovation at Pueblo Memorial Airport is also expected to help support the new program.

The terminal was due for an overall upgrade, but several specific changes were planned to help support the program, including a new badging system and a renovated conference room, Corum said. 

The college had been aiming to start the training program in the spring of 2027, with an initial class of 15 students, she said. The college is working on its FAA application to receive certification and it has recruited instructors. 

The training program had been planned to meet a strong demand for airplane mechanics, particularly in smaller communities where mechanics are retiring. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 13,100 positions for aircraft mechanics and technicians will come open annually for the next decade. 

If Pueblo can offer a strong pool of new mechanics, it could also help draw companies to town, she said.

“I think there is tremendous opportunity with it,” she said.  

The city of Pueblo owns and operates the airport, and the staff were aware of CAE’s announcement to close its location, said Brian MCain, chief of staff for Pueblo.

“I think any job that’s lost in Pueblo is a big deal,” he said. 

But he has lots of hope for the new training program to help meet demand for mechanics and the city has been coordinating closely with PCC through the airport renovations. 

“It will be a really good opportunity,” he said.