Korean Air and Boeing, along with Incheon City, have started construction of a state-of-the-art aviation training center at Incheon’s Free Economic Zone.

The training center will house 12 full flight simulators and train 3,500 pilots per year supporting Korean Air’s flight training programs.

Korean Air and Boeing plan to invest about $140 million in this project.

Participating in the groundbreaking were Yang Ho Cho, chairman and chief executive of Korean Air; Young Gil Song, Incheon City mayor; Sherry Cabary, vice president, Boeing; Chang Soo Jung, president and chief executive of Incheon International Airport, and many others.

The aviation training center is expected to open in 2015 and will be the largest in Korea with a total ground area of 8,659㎡ (three stories above ground and one basement level) and will be jointly operated by Korean Air and Boeing.

“Korean Air will be able to train more world class pilots by providing cutting edge training systems in this aviation center,” said chairman Cho.

“As a core facility, this facility also will help Young Jong Island in becoming an important venue in the aviation industry.”