Wednesday, May 8th, 2013
SEOUL, KOREA - The Boeing Company will build a training and flight center in Yeongjong Island near Incheon International Airport. Pat Gaines, president of Boeing Korea, said in a press conference, "We are preparing to build a training center in Incheon to educate a workforce in aviation." At the center, training will be administered to pilots and machinists when a new aircraft model is introduced, including maintenance, repair and operations.
Separately, the company announced on the 6th its plan to invest US$100 million to build an MRO center in Yeongcheon, North Gyengsang Province, in time for President Park Geun-hye's official visit to the United States.
Mr. Gaines said, "Based on Korea's excellence in semiconductor and electronic technical skills, we will expand our business toward aviation electronic components." Commenting on the current investment sentiments following North Korea's nuclear standoff, he said, "The level of threat was somehow inflated by the foreign media. Its impact on foreign investment is negligible." Pat Gaines holds a concurrent position as chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea.