Discussing the Evolution of the Corporate Freedom Pass (CFP) – As of January 2026, Sofema Online supports 3,500 B2B clients and hosts a library of over 525 regulatory and vocational courses.
Interviewer: Steven, looking at the numbers for January 2026 – 3,500 B2B clients and over 525 courses – the growth trajectory has been significant. However, the industry focus is specifically on the Corporate Freedom Pass (CFP). How do you define this product today compared to when it launched?
Steven Bentley: We no longer view the Corporate Freedom Pass merely as a training bundle. As of 2026, we position the CFP as a comprehensive “Knowledge Infrastructure” for aviation organizations.
In the past, training was transactional – you bought a course when you needed it. Today, the CFP is a utility model. It allows an organization to subscribe to a “capacity” for competence, rather than purchasing individual certificates. It shifts the mindset from “Ownership of a Course” to “Access to Competency.”
Interviewer: Can you explain the operational mechanics of this “Utility Model”? How does the “Concurrent Seat” system actually work for a busy airline?
Steven Bentley: It works on what we call the “Revolving Door” principle. The organization purchases slots – say, 10 or 20 concurrent seats – not specific courses.
Here is the scenario: Employee A enters a slot to take an EASA Part 145 course. The moment they complete that exam, they vacate the slot. That same slot is immediately available for Employee B to start a Quality Assurance Diploma. A single slot isn’t restricted to one person; it can theoretically process dozens of different courses per year across your entire workforce.
Interviewer: You’ve often cited the “5 Euro Benchmark” regarding cost efficiency. With the library now exceeding 525 courses, does that benchmark still hold?
Steven Bentley: Actually, we have smashed that benchmark. The 5 Euro figure was our target for extreme efficiency, but our recent data shows we can go lower.
We recently analyzed a renewal for a major national carrier (using a CFP 20 package with a Partnership Training Program bonus). When we applied the volume and loyalty discounts, the math was undeniable.
In this specific case, the client paid approximately €16,898 for a capacity of 5,460 training days. (approx 3.09 Euros per day)
Interviewer: €3.09 per training day is staggering when compared to classroom training. What is the typical industry comparison?
Steven Bentley: It really is night and day. Standard physical or virtual instructor-led training typically ranges from €500 to €750 per day. We are delivering equivalent regulatory compliance for roughly 1% of that cost. This economy of scale allows Quality Managers to stretch their budgets significantly further than they thought possible.
Interviewer: Price is obviously a driver, but low cost means nothing without content depth. You mentioned passing the 525-course milestone. Is this just general “awareness” training?
Steven Bentley: That is a critical distinction. If it were just “Human Factors” and “Fuel Tank Safety,” we wouldn’t have 3,500 B2B clients. The 525+ library includes deep regulatory content.
Take EASA Part 21 (Regulation 748) as an example. This is a complex “Initial Airworthiness” regulation essential for Design (DOA) and Production (POA) organizations. We cover these high-level topics alongside vocational diplomas. We aren’t just ticking compliance boxes; we are supporting career pathways in CAMO, Logistics, and Safety Management.
Interviewer: Speaking of Career Pathways, how does the CFP support long-term staff development?
Steven Bentley: This is where the Vocational Diplomas come in. Most subscriptions limit users to short courses. We include our full Diploma programs in the CFP.
This allows an airline to use the pass for retention. You can tell a promising engineer, “We are going to put you through a CAMO Diploma track using our corporate subscription.” It builds loyalty and internal capability without raising the training budget line item.
Interviewer: How much control does the client actually have? Is there a bottleneck waiting for Sofema to approve enrollments?
Steven Bentley: Zero bottlenecks. We realized early on that autonomy is key. The client holds the “keys” via an administrative dashboard.
If an audit finding lands on your desk at 9:00 AM requiring immediate Root Cause Analysis training for three staff members, the administrator can assign those courses by 9:05 AM. The staff can start by 9:10 AM. You don’t wait for an invoice, a PO, or our support team.
Interviewer: One unique feature you offer is the provision of “Soft Copies.” Why do you give away the training material?
Steven Bentley: We believe in building an Internal Library for our clients. When a student completes a course, they (and the organization) get the PDF soft copy.
Even if the subscription eventually ends, the organization retains a permanent library of training materials for 525+ subjects. It’s a legacy value. You aren’t just buying the training event; you are buying the reference material forever.
Interviewer: You mentioned a client managing 21 slots. Is that a typical size?
Steven Bentley: It varies. We have smaller MROs on a CFP 10 (10 slots) and large carriers on much larger packages.
However, the “Sweet Spot” often lands around the CFP 20 mark. With the Partnership Training Program (PTP) bonus, a client usually ends up with 21 concurrent slots. As we calculated earlier, this volume drives the unit cost down to that ~€3.09 level, maximizing the ROI.
Interviewer: Finally, Steven, what is the message to a CEO or Accountable Manager reading this who hasn’t moved to a subscription model yet?
Steven Bentley: I would ask them to look at their “Unit Cost” for training. If you are paying €300 for a certificate, you are overpaying by a factor of 100.
With the CFP, you secure budget stability, immediate agility for audit findings, and a massive internal knowledge base. It’s not just about saving money; it’s about removing the friction between “needing training” and “doing training.”
Tags:
Aviation Knowledge, Utility Model, January 2026, 500, 3, B2B clients, Strategic Update, Interview with Steven Bentley, 2026, Fuel Tank Safety, Corporate Freedom Pass (CFP), Sofema Online (SOL), POA, DOA, Logistics, Courses, Safety Management, Human Factors
