Trainee pilots learning to fly at Oxford Airport will soon get most of their lessons in sunny Texas, thanks to a major commercial deal.

The airport's parent company, BBA Group Plc, has bought the Tyler International School of Aviation, 80 miles east of Dallas, Texas.

The acquisition means that by the end of this year, about 60 per cent of Oxford's airline pilot training courses will take place in the USA.

Only the final cross-country flying phase, ground school and aircraft simulator courses will be run at Kidlington.

Airport chief executive David McRobert said the pilot training business had grown in recent years.

Oxford Aviation Training, based at Oxford Airport, trains pilots for many of the world's leading airlines, including British Airways.

Mr McRobert said: "Conducting the initial flying training in a better weather environment than the UK has become a key part of our airline pilot training courses, and is now expected by all our customers."

The new Texas base should allow trainee pilots to complete their 70 hours training on schedule, without the risk of being grounded by bad weather.

The move is the latest initiative by the airport to reduce the amount of basic training trainees do in the county.

Mr McRobert said the deal would give the airport full control over its flying training programme.

"This is an excellent step forward for us and I'm very excited by the potential," he said. "It represents a great platform for growth,"

The new base in Texas features three long runways catering for all wind directions, good airfield facilities and reliable weather conditions that should allow students to complete their training on time.