During October 2018, 91 participants, being controllers from various airports in China, have started a 10-month Apron Controller Initial and Qualification training. Some are employees of Air Traffic Management Bureaus (ATMB) of Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC – China’s air navigation service provider) and others are working for airport ATC units. The course is hosted by North West ATMB and authorised by the CAAC. To support the Apron Controller Initial training, Entry Point North is contributing as a training provider.
Currently air traffic control (ATC) Initial training in China is offered as a university education at three universities. To improve the quality of ATC training, CAAC now supports the Apron Controller Initial Training as a ‘pilot’ project to explore the possibilities of providing ATC training themselves – a milestone, according to the General Director of North West ATMB, Mr. Xie Linyan.
The instructor from Entry Point North provides the course participants with the opportunity to broaden their knowledge of the advanced technology and the operational procedures used in apron control in Europe. As a co-provider of the Initial Training, Entry Point North was invited to attend the opening ceremony of this course in Xi An on 9 October 2018, together with the Vice General Director of ATMB, Mr. Ma Bing. The following day Entry Point North had a meeting with North West ATMB exploring ways of expanding our long-term cooperation into a broader perspective within this promising market.