China deal boost for Airways NZ training
A new link will see more student exchange between New Zealand and China, reports Alan Wood.
Airways New Zealand says an agreement with a Chinese aviation group will help boost air traffic control student training opportunities for its Christchurch and Palmerston North campuses.
Each extra student would be worth thousands of dollars in revenues.
Aviation training hubs in the two cities will become busier, and some Christchurch staff will be able to travel overseas on secondment as a result of business secured in both China and the Middle East, Airways New Zealand boss Ed Sims says.
He signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Sunday with the Beijing-based Civil Aviation Management Institute of China (CAMIC), a professional body for the industry.
The MOU would enable the establishment of professional development workshops in New Zealand or China for air traffic controllers, aviation management personnel and maintenance engineers.
Under the MOU, Airways was exploring opportunities for CAMIC students to join those from Tianjin University already being trained in Palmerston North.
Under a partnership with Tianjin University, Airways was looking to double the number of Tianjin students being trained in Palmerston North to 10.
While the university students were typically in New Zealand for up to six months of training, the CAMIC students would probably complete shorter modular courses. Numbers were yet to be firmed up but there could be tens or hundreds, he said.
There was also an opportunity for Christchurch trainers to be based in Beijing to work on a CAMIC proposal involving hundreds more students.
‘‘We’d probably look typically at a 12 or 24-month secondment. I think it would be a fantastic opportunity for someone to go and work in Beijing,’’ Sims said.
Airways’ air traffic control operation in Christchurch is the largest in the country, employing about 60 per cent or 450 of Airways’ 730 staff.
At the moment Christchurch has about 30 students from mainland China, Hong Kong and the Pacific Islands in training and another 60 students were being trained in Palmerston and Auckland.
Sims aims to drive Airways’ export revenues, from sales of its systems overseas, from 20 per cent of revenue up to 50 per cent within the next 10 years.
The MOU was signed on the first day of a week-long visit to China by a 40-strong New Zealand business delegation led by Wellington Mayor Celia Wade-brown. The presence and timing of the delegation played an important part in fast-tracking the signing of the MOU, Sims said.
Airways was working on projects to sell systems into the Middle East and train further air traffic controllers in that region.
‘‘Every one of these deals is creating more employment opportunities.’’
It was working to secure a contract with the Abu Dhabi airports company and was also looking to bid for more work in Saudi Arabia and Oman. Airways had also been in China establishing relationships with other important groups including the Air Traffic Management Bureau.