Pilots to be required to lose heavy accents

Govt notices communication lapses between planes, controllers

People who have a strong accent in their spoken Mandarin can no longer apply for a pilot's license or fly aircraft as of 2016, according to the civil aviation authority.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China said in a teleconference attended by air traffic control officials and airline managers that applicants for a license after Jan 1, 2016, must prove themselves capable of speaking standard Mandarin by passing the fourth-grade Mandarin test organized by the Ministry of Education, Mirror Evening News reported on Wednesday.