Construction of BAA Training (China) Aviation Training Center started Friday in Zhengzhou, capital of Central China's Henan province, its investors said.

The training base is jointly funded by Henan Civil Aviation Development & Investment Co Ltd (HNCA) and Lithuania-based Avia Solutions Group.

Covering an area of nearly five hectares, the training center is expected to offer training services for pilots and stewards.

In the initial stage, the project plans to import six full-flight simulators. In five years' time, it is expected to train around 4,000 pilots a year.

China is now the world's second-largest civil aviation market. It is expected to become the world's largest by the mid-2020s, according to forecast by the International Air Transport Association.

"At present, with the rapid development of China's aviation industry, many airlines are facing a shortage of pilots, and the demand for pilots' training has greatly increased," said Zhang Mingchao, chairman of HNCA.

BAA Training, a subsidiary of Avia, is one of the leading aviation training centers in Europe.

The training center in Henan is expected to be completed in 2020.