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Air China promises fewer delays for Games
(Reuters)
Updated: 2007-07-24 09:09
Air China Ltd., the official airline partner for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, is working to cut delays and improve employees' English language skills ahead of next year's Games, according to executives.
The standard of service on the Hong Kong-listed airline, part owned by Cathay Pacific is a popular topic of discussion in Beijing, with complaints ranging from frequent delays to poor English abilities.
Air China says some of those delays are caused by the weather and are unavoidable -- thunderstorms which strike Beijing during the summer frequently lead to the airport closing -- but acknowledge they could keep passengers better informed.
"We will improve our service quality this year, including addressing the delay problem," vice president in charge of sales Zhang Lan told a small group of foreign reporters.
"A lot of information does not reach the front-line workers," admitted senior vice president He Li. "We're working on that too. These are the people who reflect the general service attitude of the airline."
Frustration at mysterious delays, diversions and cancellations have at times boiled over into violence at Chinese airports, as passengers try to storm grounded aircraft and police are brought in to keep peace.
The government is keen to improve service standards at airports and on Chinese airlines ahead of the Games, worried delays and rudeness could tarnish China's image.
Raising English skills is another area Air China is concentrating on, as English is the international language of aviation.
China's civil aviation regulator issued a terse statement last month demanding Chinese pilots improve their English.
Many Chinese pilots are ex-military and speak little or even no English, though some airlines do now train their new pilots overseas to ensure they have the required language skills.
"We pay a great deal of attention to this issue," said He. "But we are a developing country, whose language is Chinese. It's quite hard for us."
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