On May 8, Air China, the official airline partner of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, set up a 24-hour command center to ensure smooth air traffic during the Games.

Cai Jianjiang, Air China's president, said the company had invested 568 million yuan (about US$81 million) to improve its ground control system and train employees. The company had recruited 300 new stewards and selected 562 volunteers from current staff to work for the Games.

The new center would facilitate the coordination between the airline and the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), and other key units such as the venue operation team at the Beijing Capital International Airport (BCIA), said Cai.

Photograph: Air China's Beijing 2008 Torch Relay aircraft took off from Beijing Capital International Airport (BCIA) on March 29. Photo contributed by CARNOC.com message board user.