Charles Bolden (L) is pictured here with Tan Ruisong (R), vice president of the CAE. [Photo: cannews.com]

A Chinese civil aviation company will work with NASA to help airports better manage their busy route schedules, amid mounting complaints over delays in recent years in China.

"Our ability to work closely together will help to improve predictability of ground delays so air carriers can better plan departures to increase efficiencies," said Charles Bolden, a NASA Administrator.

NASA has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Chinese Aeronautical Establishment (CAE), a research institute under the Aviation Industry Corporation of China, the first of its kind in over 2 decades.

Under the five-year MoU, NASA and CAE will collaborate on aeronautics research based on data from Chinese airports.

Their analysis is expected to improve air transportation concepts and technologies for inside and outside of China.

"China is expected to see a substantial increase in air travel in the near future. Our ability to work closely together will help to improve predictability of ground delays so air carriers can better plan departures to increase efficiencies. That will have a positive impact on U.S. carriers operating in China and the global aviation community," said Charles Bolden, NASA Administrator, when he visited China back in August.

Bolden discussed details of the MoU with officials from CAE and China's civil aviation authority in that visit.