The groundbreaking ceremony for the Bamboo Airways aviation academy in the central province of Binh Dinh. — VNS Photo

Bamboo Airways, a subsidiary of real estate developer FLC Group, began construction of an aviation academy in the central province of Binh Dinh on Sunday.

Covering an area of 10ha, the VND700 billion (US$30 million) project is located at Nhon Hoi Economic Zone in Quy Nhon City. It is scheduled to be operational in 2022, and will train nearly 3,500 students per year as pilots, flight attendants, technicians, ground service providers and operation controllers.

The project is the first in a series of training facilities that Viet Nam’s newest airline is planning to build in Quang Ninh, Hai Phong and Vinh Phuc.

At the groundbreaking ceremony, Bamboo Airways signed deals with the New Zealand Aviation Academy to train pilots meeting international standards and with the University of Engineering and Technology under the Viet Nam National University – Ha Noi to improve the quality of training and conduct joint scientific research.

Dang Tat Thang, Permanent Vice Chairman of Bamboo Airways, said he hopes the facility will become a top training centre and help improve the sector’s domestic workforce.

Thang said the centre would work with universities in Viet Nam and abroad to boost education quality while connecting with the world’s biggest aircraft manufacturers like Airbus and Boeing to train skilled workers.

Chairman of the Binh Dinh People’s Committee Ho Quoc Dung pledged to create the best conditions possible for Bamboo Airways and other investors to run their projects in the locality.

Since its first flight took off on January 16 this year, Bamboo Airways has opened 24 routes to 15 domestic airports. — VNS