Plane sailing for more than half a century

Jan 1marks 60 years since the birth of modern civil aviation in the Xinjiang autonomous region, and, despite the ever-present threat of terrorism, the service is still going strong, report Cui Jia in Beijing and Gao Bo in Urumqi.

Fu Puyan started his career in nonmilitary aviation in 1979 as a pilot of prop-driven civil aircraft in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. At the time only officials at the county-level or above enjoyed the privilege of traveling by air, and only if they could secure a coveted ticket that bore an illustration of Tian'anmen Square in red.

Today, Fu is the manager of the Xinjiang branch of China Southern Airlines Co, overseeing the operation of a fleet of 50 planes, including four Boeing-777s.