Inside the training workshop, the room is nearly silent. A group of trainees stands around an engine module, watching closely as an instructor guides them through each step. No one rushes. Every movement is deliberate. In aviation maintenance, precision is not just a skill - it is a habit.

A short drive away, Chengdu Tianfu International Airport tells a different story. Aircraft arrive and depart in constant motion, engines roaring as the demands of modern air travel continue without pause.

That contrast captures what the Aero Engine Maintenance Training Center, or AEMTC, has represented for the past 30 years. While passengers experience the speed of flight, the capabilities behind safe and reliable operations are built more quietly, one lesson at a time.

"When you're training here, you realize every small detail matters, because in real operations there is no room for approximation," one trainee says. "The training improves not only your technical skills but also the way you think."

A Pioneering Partnership Built for a Growing Industry

AEMTC was founded in 1996 through cooperation among the Civil Aviation Administration of China, GE Aerospace, Safran Aircraft Engines, CFM International, China Aviation Supplies (CAS), and the Civil Aviation Flight University of China (CAFUC). It was China's first civil aviation engine vocational training institution of its kind, and the first CFM* engine training center outside the United States and France.

The decision to locate it in China reflected a long-term view of that country's aviation future. "Placing the first AEMTC outside the United States and France in China reflected our confidence in the long-term potential of China's civil aviation market. We saw early on that as the industry grew, the need for highly skilled maintenance talent would grow with it," says Xiang Weiming, president of GE Aerospace Greater China and CFM International Greater China, who has been through contract negotiations, groundbreaking, and the 30-year operation of AEMTC.

Over three decades, AEMTC has grown with that market. Located at CAFUC, in Guanghan, in Sichuan Province, the center spans 7,500 square meters (80,000 square feet) and today includes 10 training engines covering nine engine models, including the CFM56-3, CFM56-5B, CFM56-7B, CF6-80C2, LEAP-1A, LEAP-1B, LEAP-1C, and CF34-10A. From its early focus on a small number of engine types, it has evolved into one of the world's most complete LEAP engine training centers. It is also the only training center in the world that can provide engine maintenance education for the LEAP-1C, powering the COMAC C919, and the CF34-10A, powering the C909.

Its influence extends far beyond campus. By the end of 2025, AEMTC had trained about 17,500 technical professionals from more than 120 airlines, MROs, and airframers across Asia, the Middle East, Australia, Europe, and Africa. That is one reason AEMTC is often described in China's aviation community as a "cradle" for the aircraft engine maintenance workforce.

"What we have tried to build here is not only technical capability, but also a culture of responsibility and continuous learning," says Li Shilin, co-leader of AEMTC. "Many of our trainees go on to become backbone talent in airlines, MROs, and other aviation organizations. That is why AEMTC has come to hold such a special place in the industry."

Its distinctiveness also lies in how it was built. "AEMTC has always been unique because it was founded on collaboration," says Linda Chen, another co-leader of AEMTC. "From the beginning, it brought together Chinese and international partners around a shared goal: to develop highly capable maintenance professionals for a fast-evolving industry."

Preparing Talent for What Comes Next

What has kept AEMTC relevant for 30 years is not only its legacy, but its ability to evolve.

Since 2019, AEMTC has provided technical training for line maintenance, borescope inspection, and on-wing support for LEAP engines powering next-generation aircraft including the Airbus A320neo, Boeing 737 MAX, and COMAC C919. As newer aircraft and engines enter service, maintenance training must become more specialized, responsive, and closely aligned with operational needs.

That demand is only growing. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) notes that LEAP engine shop visits are expected to rise significantly - from about 600-800 in 2025 to 1,800-2,000 by 2030, and more than 5,000 by 2040 - which means workforce readiness is becoming even more critical. It also makes AEMTC's training model especially relevant today. "One of the center's strengths is that it brings globally aligned training standards into a local context," Chen adds. "Trainees gain access to internationally consistent methods while learning in ways that are directly relevant to the aircraft and engines they support in different regions."

"In engine maintenance training, the fundamentals will always matter," says Lai Anqing, head of teaching and research at AEMTC. "But the way we teach those fundamentals can and should evolve with technology."

Now AEMTC is introducing new approaches, including AI-empowered borescope training and MR (mixed-reality) instructional methods. "We are helping trainees improve both efficiency and accuracy," Lai says. "The goal is not to replace human judgment, but to strengthen it."

For trainees, the value of AEMTC is not just in mastering procedures, but in building a mindset. According to participants from Chinese airlines and local MRO facilities, the program reinforced the underlying logic of each task and heightened their attention to detail - an experience they hope AEMTC builds on by offering training for additional engine types and modern tools.

Investing in People, Investing in the Future of Flight

At its core, AEMTC is a story about people. Aircraft and engines may be the most visible symbols of aviation, but safe and reliable operations depend just as much on the technicians, instructors, and maintenance professionals behind them. That is why AEMTC's 30th anniversary is more than an institutional milestone. It is also a reminder that workforce development has long been essential to industry growth.

For GE Aerospace, that commitment has been part of AEMTC from the start. Over the years, GE Aerospace and CFM International have continued to invest in training resources and expand the center's operating capabilities for courses, teaching aid, and instructors.

"Workforce development is not separate from industry development - it is part of it," says Jayesh Shanbhag, vice president of customer experience for GE Aerospace and CFM International. "Aircraft, engines, and technology matter enormously, but the people who maintain, inspect, and support them is what keeps the engines running safely and reliably. At GE Aerospace, being customer-driven also means helping our customers build workforce capabilities they need for long-term success - being that reliable partner throughout the life cycle of their operations. That is why we remain committed to supporting AEMTC, through continued investment in teaching resources - including the future introduction of widebody engine models such as the GE90 and GE9X."

In the coming years, AEMTC will go on bridging those two worlds - developing the workforce behind aircraft engines and helping prepare the industry for what comes next.

* CFM International is a 50-50 joint company between GE Aerospace and Safran Aircraft Engines.