China Southern Airlines Western Australia Flying College to Expand Cadet Base

China Southern Airlines will be taking 250 new student pilots (up from the 120 annual graduates) starting in 2006 at its China Southern West Australian Flying College (CSWAFC).

China Southern West Australian Flying College was established in 1993. Based at Jandakot Airport, a 20 minute drive from Perth, the college also owns and operates the Merredin aerodrome located 250km east of Perth in the heart of the Wheatbelt. Both locations have pilot training and accommodation facilities.

“CSWAFC takes pride in the very high standards of flight training it has achieved, exceeding the rigorous levels set by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority of Australia. Our unique mix of the best training aircraft, expert people, and excellent facilities allows us to graduate over 100 cadets every year. These pilots then return to China Southern Airlines, one of the fastest growing airlines in the world,” said Mr. Liu Qian, Chief Pilot of China Southern Airlines and Chairman of the flying college.

As China’s largest airline, China Southern Airlines now operates more than 230 aircraft on more than 540 domestic and International routes with approximately 70 new aircraft on order from Boeing and Airbus, including the 'Super Jumbo' Airbus A380. The airline does not employ foreign pilots or military pilots. The CSWAFC specializes in training airline pilots from raw recruits with no flying experience to multi-engine instrument rated jet first officers.

At its Perth facility, China Southern operates 35 GROB 115C, single engine propeller; five SENECA V, twin engine propeller and two Citation Cessna Jet aircraft. CSWAFC employs around 100 people, in fields ranging from flight and ground instructors, to engineers, administrative personnel, and operations staff.

Graduates from the China Southern West Australia Flying College undergo further training at the airline’s Flight Training Center facility in Zhuhai in Guangdong Province.

More than 800 pilots who began their training at the college in Australia have gone on to fly with the airline.

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