RAero has entered a joint venture with PearlQ Software and Network Solutions, linking a US aviation training technology company with a Doha-based software business led by H.E. Sheikh Abdulla Khalifa Al Thani.
The venture will focus on digital aviation training across Qatar, the Middle East, North America and other international markets. It combines aviation training expertise with regional technology and commercial support.
RAero is led by Chief Executive Officer Brent Birdwell, founder of pilot training company CPaT Global. He previously served in the US Air Force and later worked in commercial aviation before founding CPaT in the 1990s and leaving the business in 2019.
PearlQ, based in Doha, is led by H.E. Sheikh Abdulla Khalifa Al Thani, a member of Qatar's Al Thani family. Under the joint venture, PearlQ will handle regional market support, strategic relationships, client engagement, programme management and local technical support.
RAero will provide aviation training content and digital learning systems, including computer-based training, aircraft systems training, learning management systems, scenario-based training tools and digital flight deck environments.
Training focus
The venture will target a broad range of aviation roles, not just pilot training. These include training for cabin crew, maintenance staff and ground operations teams, alongside programmes for civil, military and electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft operations.
The companies said the training products would include AI-enabled learning support, WebXR environments, advanced flight management system training applications and tailored courseware designed around airline procedures and branding. They positioned the offer around demand from airlines adding aircraft, introducing new types and updating technology.
That demand has become a central issue across the sector as carriers seek to expand while maintaining staff readiness. Digital delivery has also become more common in aviation training as operators look for ways to standardise instruction across fleets and geographies.
International scope
The agreement also sets out a longer-term framework for commercial and technology cooperation. The two sides plan to explore joint technology development, regional training infrastructure and work tied to aviation training demand in Qatar, India and other overseas markets.
RAero's wider leadership team includes President Amit Bahuguna, who is from Uttarakhand in India and also works as a pilot at a Canadian cargo airline flying the Boeing 767. The company also lists Chief Product Officer Rahul Jakhmola, who is based in the US.
The partnership sits within a broader push in Gulf states to build domestic technology and skills businesses linked to strategic sectors such as transport and aerospace. In Qatar, training and knowledge-based industries have been identified as part of the country's long-term economic development agenda.
The companies said the venture aligns with Qatar National Vision 2030, which emphasises human capital development, innovation and economic diversification. In aviation, that creates space for businesses offering specialist training software and digital courseware to airlines and related operators.
Birdwell's background is likely to be a focal point as the venture seeks customers in airline training. CPaT Global became known in the pilot training market for computer-based learning products, and RAero is now seeking to build on that experience with more immersive digital formats.
No financial terms for the joint venture were disclosed. The companies also did not say whether it would begin with airline customers, training providers, government users or military organisations, although the agreement's scope spans all of those segments.
They said the collaboration is intended to support "the industry's evolving training requirements."