Flight International online news08:00 GMT: Shandong Airlines has teamed up with Oklahoma-basedSpartanSchool of Aeronautics to open an ab initio flight training school in northeastChina.

TheQingdaoJiutianSpartanFlightAcademy commenced ground training last month and will begin flight training in January.

The academy is 36% owned by theSpartanSchool of Aeronautics, 15% by Shandong Airlines and 49% by private Chinese companySunnyForest.

Shandong is sponsoring all 28 of the students, which are currently enrolled in ground training but Spartan says it is in talks with other Chinese carriers to sponsor future students. TheSpartanSchool of Aeronautics currently trains pilots for 11 Chinese carriers at itsTulsa,Oklahoma campus.

China is facing a growing shortage of pilots and Spartan says Chinese carriers have lined up hundreds of new students but are struggling to find schools where they can be trained.

Spartan inTulsa is now training 180 Chinese students along with 320 domestic students but does not have the capacity to keep up with demand from its Chinese airline customers. AirChina alone, says Spartan, has 500 new students requiring training immediately but Spartan can only accept 50.

BRENDAN SOBIE / SINGAPORE

Source: Flight International