
Written by Rob Paix

Xi’an’s emergence as a center for aviation can be traced back to its prominence during the Anti-Japanese War and its selection as the site for key military
establishments. A large and well-resourced city, it was centrally located with good connections to the large cities of the east, but far enough inland to be less vulnerable to attack. In 1958, Xi’an’s Yanliang District saw the establishment of the military aviation-focused “Factory 172.” Yanliang went on to become the first China Aviation Industrial Base (CAIB), an aviation hi-tech industry development platform established by the State. Xi’an’s suite of aviation and aerospace resources now includes ten education and training platforms, including Xi’an Aeronautical University (西安航空学院) and Northwestern Polytechnical University (西北工业大学), more than 20 R&D institutions such as the AVIC Aircraft Design Institute (中航工业第一飞机设计研究院) and numerous national laboratories.
establishments. A large and well-resourced city, it was centrally located with good connections to the large cities of the east, but far enough inland to be less vulnerable to attack. In 1958, Xi’an’s Yanliang District saw the establishment of the military aviation-focused “Factory 172.” Yanliang went on to become the first China Aviation Industrial Base (CAIB), an aviation hi-tech industry development platform established by the State. Xi’an’s suite of aviation and aerospace resources now includes ten education and training platforms, including Xi’an Aeronautical University (西安航空学院) and Northwestern Polytechnical University (西北工业大学), more than 20 R&D institutions such as the AVIC Aircraft Design Institute (中航工业第一飞机设计研究院) and numerous national laboratories.

These companies and many more will be there with their airplanes at the Xi’an Air Show,
which forms part of the China International General Aviation Convention, to be held October 15-19. Come out and experience for yourself the “Wichita of China!”

Rob Paix is founder and manager of XL Consulting China, a Xi’an-based translation and consulting company specializing in aviation, business management and the environment.