Airbus Industrie and China Aviation Supplies' (CASC) new Hua Ou Aviation Training and Support Centre in Beijing is in the final stages of being fitted out and is scheduled to begin full operations at the end of October.
The joint venture recently received its final approval from China's State Planning Commission and foreign trade and co-operation ministry. "This was a big step forward as we are now legally established in China," says CASC- Airbus customer-services general manager Francois Mourareau.
Installation of a Thomson Training & Simulation Airbus A320 full-flight simulator in the adjoining training centre is almost complete, and the first pilots are to start tuition on 3 November. An Airbus A340 full-flight simulator from the French company is planned for delivery in late October and will be operational by February. A third simulator bay will be used for temporary housing of a cabin-evacuation trainer. No decision on a third simulator has yet been taken.
According to Airbus Industrie China training-department manager Christian Stie, the simulators will each be operated for up to 5,000h a year and are fully booked throughout 1998.
Time on the A320 and A340 simulators will be divided between aircrew recurrent and transition training. The 8,200m2 (88,300ft2) centre also houses ten classrooms equipped for computer-based training of flightcrews and maintenance personnel.
Airbus has already shipped spare parts for the centre's 5,000sq.m support centre, while another 18 vendor suppliers are to take up residency shortly.
Aside from supporting the seven Chinese carriers which are now operating Airbus aircraft, the centre is attracting the interest of operators in Hong Kong, Japan, Macau, South Korea and Vietnam. Under the agreement, Airbus will hand over full control of the complex by 2005.
Source: Flight International
