China – Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics (NUAA) has outlined the continued development of its university-led pilot training platform following a September 8 visit by senior Spring Airlines flight operations and training executives. The university has established its own CCAR-141 flight school and operates an A320neo Level D Full Flight Simulator, forming an integrated pathway spanning university theory, ab-initio flight training and airline First Officer preparation.

NUAA states that its Flight Technology program has produced more than 10,000 graduates for over 10 airlines. The university is now developing a more vertically integrated training model linking its academic curriculum with its CCAR-141 operation and advanced A320neo simulator training.
The university formally launched operation of its CCAR-141 flight school in November 2025. The school was jointly established by NUAA, the Liyang municipal government and Jilin Fuhang Aviation Academy, supporting NUAA's objective of bringing a larger portion of practical flight training within its own education structure.
NUAA's first A320neo Level D Full Flight Simulator was delivered and underwent its Level D evaluation on December 12, 2025 at the university's Tianmu Lake campus in Liyang, Changzhou. The delivery involved Haite Group and its subsidiary Ansheng, with Civil Aviation Administration of China evaluation specialists participating in the qualification process.
The university describes the combination of academic aviation theory, CCAR-141 ab-initio flight training and airline First Officer preparation as an integrated training chain. Its A320neo simulator supports aircraft-type training and is also available as a shared university training resource.
Spring Airlines Vice President Shen Wei, Chief Pilot Yang Gang and Deputy Manager of Flight Standards Shen Zhihua visited NUAA's General Aviation and Flight College on September 8, 2026. Discussions covered pilot recruitment and selection, academic education, flight training, competency-based pilot development and further airline-university cooperation.
Spring Airlines said its relationship with the university extends for more than 10 years and covers pilot selection, academic education and flight training. During the latest discussions, the airline indicated that it would continue supporting the development of NUAA's CCAR-141 flight school through student training activity.
The two sides also discussed joint curriculum development, Evidence-Based Training research, aviation English instruction and physical training for pilots. NUAA additionally outlined research cooperation opportunities covering flight safety data analysis, artificial intelligence, large language models and aviation meteorological data.
The A320neo simulator is particularly aligned with Spring Airlines' fleet structure. Spring operates an all-Airbus A320-family fleet; its corporate profile currently states that it owns 140 aircraft and operates more than 190 domestic and over 50 international and regional routes.

About Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics is a Chinese aviation-focused university with campuses in Nanjing and a Tianmu Lake campus in Liyang, Changzhou. Its General Aviation and Flight College operates the Flight Technology program, a CCAR-141 flight school and an A320neo Level D Full Flight Simulator as part of its civil aviation pilot education infrastructure. The university states that its Flight Technology program has trained more than 10,000 graduates for over 10 airlines and supports practical education through flight simulation, type-specific training, flight experience and operational flight training facilities.

About Spring Airlines
Spring Airlines is a privately owned Chinese low-cost carrier headquartered in Shanghai that began commercial operations in July 2005. Its official corporate profile states that it operates a fleet of approximately 140 Airbus A320-family aircraft across more than 190 domestic and more than 50 international and regional routes.

Source: Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics General Aviation and Flight College

Chinese University Integrates CCAR-141 Flight School and A320neo Simulator into 2026 Pilot Training Pathway

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