China is making good progress in the creation of a network of aviation training and maintenance facilities in Africa, being built in an effort to boost potential sales of the China-made aircraft, and help improve the continent's air transport sector.

Speaking on the sidelines of the ongoing Aviation Expo China 2015 in Beijing, Zhang Guangjian, general manager of AVIC International Aero-Development Corp, told China Daily he hoped all the planned facilities would be fully operational by 2020.

The network is likely to comprise an aviation training center, two regional marketing offices, two maintenance and support centers and three spare-parts warehouses, he said.