Airways' Study Abroad Chinese students enjoy success

Students from the Civil Aviation Flight University of China have this week completed their intensive Air Traffic Control basic training at Airways New Zealand’s purpose-built training academy in Palmerston North.

The students, who are in the third year of their Air Traffic Management degree, travelled to New Zealand to benefit from Airways’ low student ratios and world-class training for their air traffic control course component.

The programme provides students with an aviation English course and the opportunity to use Airways’ state-of-the-art training technologies. Students also have the option to attend classes at nearby Massey University for credits in programmes other than ATC.

Sharon Cooke, Airways Head of Training, says the students enjoyed the New Zealand learning model as well as the extensive cultural experience offered.

“For these Chinese students, the opportunity to study in an English immersion environment is invaluable,” she says.

“With 1:6 teacher to student ratios, our class sizes are much smaller than those at the Chinese universities, and our feedback from students about the quality of learning this offers is enthusiastic. They love the simulation exercises that the Airways Total Control simulators provide, which are second to none.”

“The Total Control simulators are amazing, they provide a good challenge for us and are very realistic,” says student Zeng Kequig.

“The outdoor experiences we did in New Zealand were fantastic, our instructors took us to the glow-worm caves, surfing, bungy jumping, fishing and sky-diving,” adds classmate Tian Zhenyu.

Ms Cooke says that Airways has become a trusted training provider, welcoming hundreds of international ATC students to its New Zealand training facilities for courses ranging from a few days to several weeks. The next ab-initio ATC courses will run from the middle of this year.

Civil Aviation Flight University of China student Zhuo Ma trained in the state-of-the-art Airways Total Control air traffic control simulator during his ATC studies.