Yesterday, 31 October, the Air Force Academy (AFA) Commander's handover ceremony took place at Granja do Marquês, in Sintra.

The ceremony, presided over by the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, General João Cartaxo Alves, marked the transfer of command of the Air Force Academy from Lieutenant General Fernando Costa to Major General Paulo Costa. 

In his first address to the AFA military personnel as the new Commander, Major General Paulo Costa emphasised the importance of the Academy's military and civilian personnel, stressing that ‘it is here that tomorrow's leaders are trained and, consequently, it is here that we begin to weave the paths that we will collectively follow.’

Next, it was the turn of the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, General João Cartaxo Alves, to address the military personnel present at the ceremony, praising the importance of the results achieved at the Academy, noting that they are only possible "thanks to the commitment, motivation, spirit of mission, high technical and pedagogical qualifications of all those who have served at the Air Force Academy,‘ contributing to ’making us today one of the most entrepreneurial, ready, organised and, consequently, most competitive and respected national institutions, always looking to the future. Not only to the air, but now also to space."

He spoke to the Academy's students about military life in the Air Force, describing it as a life of "sacrifice and total dedication, where all feelings of belonging and emotional ties are strengthened and renewed. It is not an easy life, but it is a life of conviction, a military career freely chosen by all of you, fulfilled in this institution, which is not merely a socio-professional endeavour, but rather, above all, a clear form of honourable and meaningful public service and absolute dedication to the nation that we swear to honour and defend." ‘At the Air Force Academy, we train the best,’ he concluded. 

Major General Paulo Costa, Pilot-Aviator, joined the Air Force Academy in August 1988. During his career, he was a pilot of TB-30 EPSILON and P-3 ORION, accumulating around 5,000 flight hours. In command, management and leadership roles, he commanded Squadron 601 – ‘Lobos’; headed the Operations Division of the Air Force General Staff; commanded Air Base No. 11 in Beja; and was Director of Air Operations at Air Command. On the international stage, between 2014 and 2017, he was Military Advisor to the Portuguese Military Representation (MILREP) to NATO and the European Union, and, in 2024 and 2025, he held the position of Director of the Combined Air Operations Centre in Torrejón (CAOC TJ) in Madrid, a role that preceded his current position as Commander of the Air Force Academy.

During the ceremony, Lieutenant General Fernando Costa was also awarded the Silver Medal for Distinguished Service.