Press Release

Tokyo December 8: The Civil Aviation Administration of China and Japan Airlines have reached an agreement to launch cooperative projects with the Civil Aviation Safety Institute of China aimed at contributing to the development of global flight safety. A meeting to exchange information and opinions will be held from December 12 to 15 in Tokyo.

The Civil Aviation Safety Institute of China, under the umbrella of the Civil Aviation Administration of China, was established in Beijing on May 24, 2006 with the aim of strengthening the safety management system of China's civil aviation due to the rapid increase of air transportation and to train personnel to promote flight safety. It has six departments of study, comprising operational standards, airport safety management, air traffic safety management, aircraft airworthiness certification, accident investigation and safety information, and safety theory. The Institute also provides specialist education on air safety for Chinese commercial airlines' staff and students. It aims to expand the scale to 400 staff and 8000 students per year by fiscal year 2010.

JAL and CAAC have conducted many exchanges up till now. JAL has accepted a total of 146 CAAC personnel as trainees.

Since the establishment of the Institute, JAL's Corporate Safety Division, the core safety organization, and the China Business Promotion Department have played a central role in holding discussions on the establishment of a cooperative relationship. Based on the above agreement, the first meeting will be held.

At the meeting, a mission of 11 members headed by the director of the Institute will visit Japan. The mission will consist of representatives from the public and private sectors, including executive officers of the Institute, CAAC, and Air Traffic Management Administration, and persons responsible for maintenance and flight operations of Air China, China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines, and Hainan Airlines. They will visit JAL's aircraft and component maintenance facilities, the JAL Safety Promotion Center, and hold discussions and exchange opinions with flight operations and maintenance personnel. The two parties will hold such meetings several times a year, and promote diverse cooperative projects, such as the exchange of safety related lecturers, in order to achieve the common goal of flight safety.

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