The National Civil Aerospace Industrial Base of Xi’an, approved by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), has been opened. This is another landmark development in the history of the civil aerospace industry after the State Civilian Aerospace Industry Base of Shanghai was launched on December 22, 2007.

Xi’an will become China’s second aerospace manufacturing center and is tasked by the NDRC to apply and develop aerospace technology and products by upholding the nation’s mid- and long-term spaceflight development strategy and developing satellite applications including satellite communication broadcasts, satellite navigation and remote sensory satellites.

It is also intended to drive the industrial development of advanced technology such as spaceflight information technology (IT), new-type material and advanced energy; guide the industry by garnering advanced technology with distinct characteristics and outstanding focus to make the country’s civil aerospace industry world class.
Source: People’s Daily Online

China Eastern Airlines saw its share price sink 6.8% after the Civil Aviation Administration announced it was fining the company for an incident in which its pilots intentionally disrupted flights, inconveniencing hundreds of passengers.

‘This incident exposed existing weaknesses in our management and taught us a deep lesson,’ the airline said in a statement released after the aviation regulator announced it was fining the company RMB1.5 million ($214,300) for the disruptions.

The Shanghai-based airline earlier said that 21 flights on March 31 in southwestern China’s Yunnan province were intentionally disrupted by pilots who either turned back midway through their flights or landed them and then took off again without letting passengers disembark.

The pilots were reportedly disgruntled over contract and work conditions in a country that bans unauthorized labor organizing.

Aviation regulators announced the fine, and the suspension of some of China Eastern’s flights in Yunnan, after an investigation.

Having been involved in this sort of nonsense in another country the writer has a comment to make. Pilots wrongly are treated as if they, and they alone, manage the aircraft.

This should not be the case.

It is an essential that the management of the aircraft be a team effort — the second pilot is not just along for the ride — and this is now being reflected in the way the flight simulators are set up.

The pilot is God ethos has to change.

The next point is that there just are not enough pilots so they see themselves in a special bargaining position. The answer is more and more simulators and more and more pilots. Flying a modern plane is not a great skill and an unflappable manner is of greater value than a high intelligence.

The use of the term ‘captain’ should be abandoned. They are the pilot of the plane in the same way as a bus driver is the driver of a bus and elevating them to semi-God status always brings trouble. As Qantas in Australia found to its cost. And eventually to the deep distress of a large number of pilots. Who are no longer captains.
Source: Associated Press

All planes leaving and landing at the Beijing Capital International Airport (BCIA) must use English in wireless communication with ground controllers from May 5, 2010.

This seems a sound, nay essential, move. On YouTube there are clips of pilots on China based aircraft landing in the United States and their English is, politely, not of the best.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) said in a statement on its website that at least 30% of the flights must switch from Chinese to English from May 5 this year and no less than 60% must do that a year later.

The statement quoted CAAC deputy director Li Jian as saying at a conference, ‘Many foreign airlines have complained they couldn’t precisely judge their planes’ position in the air because of failing to understand the talk between Chinese pilots and air traffic controllers in their mother tongue, which led to hidden safety problems.’

He said the problems might worsen as airlines were expected to add flights to Beijing after Terminal 3 was opened in the run-up to the Olympic Games.
Source: Trading Markets

The Massachusetts Port Authority reports that the currently named Hainan Airline Aviation Group has formally applied to the Civil Aviation Administration of China for permission to fly daily nonstops from Beijing to Boston using Boeing 787 aircraft.

The airline will, according to the Boston Business Journal be rebranded as Grand China Air which is a better name than Hainan Air given that most Americans do not have the foggiest notion where Hainan is geographically. The service will be non-stop 13-hour, 20-minute flights.

According to a a release from the local government, creating a nonstop service from Boston to China was a key goal of Governor Deval Patrick’s trade mission to China in December.

The CAAC said it would receive public comments on the application until April 10.

Massport CEO Thomas J. Kinton Jr., in a statement said, ‘We have been talking with the Chinese for three years to develop this route.

‘Every major US airport wants a China service, but we have the market to support it. Logan had 38,000 passengers travel from Boston on tickets purchased with a final destination of Beijing, and another 30,000 headed to Shanghai.’

With production delays in the long-range, fuel-efficient Boeing 787 Dreamliner pushing back aircraft delivery, it is unlikely the service on Hainan’s Grand China Airlines will begin before 2010.

Source: Boston Business Journal

Air China, China’s largest international carrier, plans to start scheduled flights to Taiwan as soon as services are allowed.

Board Secretary Huang Bin said, ‘We are fully prepared to operate regular direct flights.’

He declined to confirm or deny a report by the Commercial Times that the Beijing-based carrier plans to apply to open an office in Taiwan after the island’s new government is installed on May 20.
Taiwan President-Elect Ma Ying-jeou has pledged to end a five-decade ban on regular direct flights to China’s mainland as soon as he takes office. WHich will make life a lot easier for traveler’s who until now have had to travel by way of Hong Kong.

Airlines including Air China already fly occasional charter services across the Straits under a government policy allowing direct flights around Chinese holidays but, so far, there has been no regular service.

Our illustration shows Air China stewardesses preparing to present Beijing 2008 Olympics mascots to Taiwan passengers as souvenirs at Capital International Airport in Beijing, January 25, 2006. Air China’s first Spring Festival charter (as oopposed to regular) flight CA197 flew from Beijing to Taipei in southeast China’s Taiwan on January 25.
Source: The China Post