Groundbreaking for Air China University, training base held

Vice Minister Li Jiaxing of the National Ministry of Transport and minister of the Civil Aviation Administration of China led the groundbreaking ceremony for the Air China University and Flight Simulator Training Base in Shunyi District in Beijing last April 27.
Li said the university aims to cultivate aviation talent and that the Chinese government will support the program. Others who attended the ceremony were CAAC Vice Minister Yang Guoqing; General Manager Kong Dong of the China National Aviation Holding Company and chairman of Air China; president Cai Jianjiang of Air China; Tan Zhihong, party secretary of Air China; Vice Presidents Song Zhiyong, Li Huxiao, and Fan Cheng of Air China; chief pilot Gao Dianbang of Air China; deputy president Cheng Yiru of Air China University; and leaders of the North China Regional Administration of CAAC, Beijing City, Shunyi District, and Beijing Capital International Airport. Li also said that China civil aviation is growing 20 percent annually, but that talent cultivation is relatively lagging. The CAAC will provide investment, attention and support to cultivate talent including pilots. In the future, the CAAC will designate Air China University as a national system in cultivating talent as it has promised to provide more support. Air China University was established by Air China under the development strategy of the company, combining the current training resources of Air China and cooperating with the University of North Dakota. Air China University was established on December 26, 2007. The first stage in the construction of the university includes training sites for flight training, steward training, integrated teaching, and support auxiliary facilities. The total area of the university is about 80,000 sq.m. After completion, the university can install 20 full flight simulators, 7 flight training devices, and 20 steward cabin service simulators and safety training simulators. It can fulfill 110,000 hours of full flight simulator training every year and train about 6,500 pilots.