AN ENTERPRISING DUO
Take two sisters, who are not just bilingual, but quadlingual, add in an important new regulation governing the English requirements of international pilots, and you have the basis for a solid business in a unique niche market. Lucia Marguglio and her sister Silvia launched their business in 2003 and haven’t looked back since.
Comunicatus Enterprise is a language based business with three streams: the first is training international pilots in Aviation English, the second is a translations business that works on all subject matter from technical aeronautical manuals to brochures and marketing campaigns. And last but not least is English for Special Purposes. The company is partnered with CQFA (Centre quebecois de formation aeronautique www.cqfa.ca) and operates out of its headquarters in Dorval, Quebec.
The teaching of Aviation English is a fairly new business worldwide but it services a niche created by new regulations imposed by the International Civil Aviation Organization. By 2011, all pilots and air traffic controllers who fly internationally - this affects both the commercial and military sectors - must have an endorsement on their licenses that confirms a Level 4 English Language Proficiency.
Both Lucia and Silvia decided to take the valuable experience they already had under their belts in the business world - Lucia in the hotel industry and Silvia as sales director and head hunter for the reputable Brunel Canada - to meet the need of this exciting new field.
“Under normal circumstances, a pilot requires about 100 words for communicating with the air traffic controller,” Lucia explains. “However, in case of unusual or unforeseen situations, many aviation pilots in the world never master English well enough to communicate efficiently.”
So, the Marguglio sisters wasted no time: Lucia, who is already a certified Teacher of English as a Second Language went to England to master Aviation English. She became immersed in the subject of aviation English and to that end, participated extensively in ICAO conferences on the subject. She created a dynamic course with teaching modules that cover everything from runway incursions to cultural differences to the nuts and bolts of air operations. “Aviation is foreign language even for a native English speaker,” Lucia says. “It’s a double challenge when the pilot has learnt it in English.” However, because teaching English is an “organic endeavour, the modules can be customized and adapted to client needs,” Lucia adds. Silvia used her skills as a headhunter to recruit a team of highly qualified language specialists.
The two sisters offer their services to flight training schools in Canada and abroad. “The CQFA asked us what we could do for it. A few months ago we signed a five-year partnership to provide aviation English training for all of Canada, as well as abroad,” Silvia said. And because Comunicatus offices are located at the CQFA in Dorval, which offers modern classrooms equipped with computer and visual technology, the company is fully equipped to provide the highest level of English language training. On site is a Mechtronix Ascent XJ simulator, which in the future will be part of the English language training of international pilots as well.
So far, Comunicatus has attracted high-level clients including the National Test Pilot School in California, which has sent Korean military pilots, who fly the F5, for a four-week course. As well, Comunicatus is associated with Cargair, a flight training school in St. Hubert, which is liaising with international airlines in the flight training of their pilots.
Comunicatus has made a name for itself on the international business scene. “Some of the pilots we receive have already taken English courses from general language schools and it hasn’t provided the expected results,” Silvia said. “Our training has been adapted for the aviation sector.”
From September 2009 to August 2010, the Marguglio sisters expect to quadruple their business numbers. About 80 per cent of this increase will come from language training and 20 per cent from translation.
“Because this market has strong growth as we approach the 2011 deadline, we will have more and more competition,” Silvia predicts. “Our goal is to remain in the top five worldwide for the number of pilots trained.”
There is no doubt these two enterprising sisters will succeed.
Source
To view the original article featured in the French business magazine "Journal des Affaires"
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Journal des Affaires: An Enterprising Duo
