Gaining wings for takeoff

Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation, a subsidiary of the Aviation Industry Corporation of China, welcomed a group of 22 pilots and crew members from Angola at its civil aircraft customer service center in the Xi'an capital of Shaanxi province in early March. The guests started a three-month training program at the center to take over two MA60 planes-short-distance turboprop-powered airliners developed by Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation-and will eventually fly them home.

AVIC has been promoting MA60 planes in the international market since 2004, and started training foreign pilots and crews the following year. So far, the State-owned company has delivered more than 100 MA60/600 planes to 18 foreign countries, which have been used by more than 260 airlines.