Copello Global is delighted to announce the extension of its partnership with Aquila Air Traffic Management Services, to act as its primary external supplier of talent until 2025. Copello began working with Aquila in 2019, placing skilled air traffic management and corporate service professionals across its sites nationally and internationally.

As the volume and complexity of roles increased, the partnership quickly evolved. In 2020, the first two-year contract was signed, formalising Copello as Aquila’s official Recruitment Partner. Through its ‘Partnership Programme’, Copello has placed over 200 talented people into the business. It has directly supported Aquila with its Equality and Diversity Strategy and employer branding, delivering solutions beyond typical recruitment services.  

Copello has showcased Aquila as an Employer of Choice to the external market, using an integrated marketing strategy to enhance Aquila’s brand messaging. This has focused on digital and social media platforms and a dedicated microsite, as well as exhibiting on Aquila’s behalf at sector specific expos and producing media interviews.

To support Aquila’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (ED&I) initiatives, Copello produced a series of videos to promote and celebrate ED&I in the Defence sector, in particular women in engineering. In fact, of all System Engineers placed by Copello, over 70% have been women.

About Aquila

Aquila provides resilient operations in the sky, at sea and on land for the UK Defence, Aerospace, Transport, Energy and Environment sectors. Its innovative solutions, technical support and training expertise provide resilient services for a range of operations from national defence to weather forecasting.

Aquila is the prime contractor for the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) Programme Marshall. Under the £1.5 billion major project, Aquila is leading transformation of MOD air traffic management capability at more than 60 air stations and sites across the UK and overseas. Under the 22-year partnership, Aquila provides maintenance, support and training to HM Armed Forces to assured air traffic operations.

Since 2022, Aquila has also provided air defence services to the MOD in the South West of England and the British Overseas Territory of the Falkland Islands.

Aquila’s 365 personnel are based across the UK and in Cyprus, Gibraltar and the Falkland Islands. They are supported by and based its regional engineering hubs and head office in Fareham, Hampshire. The Aquila Academy near Shrewsbury in Shropshire trains the critical infrastructure engineers of the future.

Chief Commercial Officer at Aquila, Giles Pateman said:

“We are very proud to extend our relationship with local company, Copello, as a strategic partner. Aquila has grown rapidly within the last three years and it is important that we can rely on experts who understand our business and our evolving needs intimately. To support this, Copello operates as part of our wider delivery capability and we work closely together to ensure we have the best people in Aquila to provide our valued customers with the services they depend on for their critical operations.

“The Aquila-Copello partnership has enabled both companies to rapidly grow, and create a multitude of local, highly skilled jobs and qualifications across Engineering, Operations, Commercial and Recruitment domains.”

Partnership Programme

In 2020, Aquila became the first partner to sign up to the Copello Partnership Programme, The Partnership Programme is specifically related to the Defence, Engineering and Information Security sector. It brings together recruitment solutions, specific to the client’s needs, with a fresh outlook in employer brand solutions. To date, Copello has 5 partners signed up to this programme. https://copello.co.uk/become-a-partner/

Director at Copello, Rebecca Dell said:

‘Copello has been working with Aquila for almost 5 years, placing technical, commercial and support talent across the business, while enhancing Aquila’s image in the Defence market.  In the past year, we have created an 8-person strong Delivery Team that lead and fulfil Aquila’s recruitment needs while developing strong working relationships. Our overall workforce has grown two-fold since we signed the first ever Partnership Agreement Contract in 2020. 

To accommodate this growth, we have moved into larger offices, occupying a modern 3000ft+ office in Whiteley, bringing us closer to Aquila and the other businesses we work with in the Segensworth Business Park area. Our move will allow us to continue to grow at the speed we have seen to date.

We are tremendously proud that the agreement has been signed for an additional two years, and grateful to Aquila for choosing to support an SME such as Copello. We are extremely excited about what the future holds.’


Copello is looking to engage with small, medium and large companies in the Defence, Engineering & Technology and Information Security sectors with its exclusive approach. If you are looking for help with creating a sustainable Talent Strategy that makes you stand out in a crowded marketplace, then please get in touch with us today – info@copello.co.uk | 023 9310 0594

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