This marks the fourth consecutive year that the PLA Air Force has welcomed newly enrolled flight cadets in this distinctive manner, the report said.

This year, six boarding points were designated for this mission. Representatives of parents — including those of top-performing students in the national college entrance exam from various provinces, as well as parents from revolutionary base areas and ethnic minority groups — were invited to accompany their children aboard the Y-20 aircraft, according to the report.

At an airport in Changsha, Central China's Hunan Province, newly admitted flight cadets from five provinces in Central and South China, dressed in flight suits, boarded the Y-20 aircraft one by one, ready to start their service.
 
Before departure, personnel also handed out postcards to the cadets, encouraging them to strive for excellence.

At an airport in South China, over 300 newly admitted students from Central China's Hubei and Hunan Provinces, South China's Guangdong and Hainan Provinces and South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region gathered for departure, the report said.

The Y-20 cabin featured specially designed arrangements. "The cargo bay was set up in a full combat transport configuration with double-layer floor seating, allowing each cadet to experience a military operational environment upon boarding," said Zhang Hang, a member of a PLA Air Force unit.

During takeoff and before landing, the Y-20 crew sent their blessings to the new cadets through aerial communications, a signature gesture of the Air Force.

It is reported that nearly 100,000 high school graduates nationwide applied for PLA Air Force recruitment eligible high school graduates in 2025, according to media reports.

Global Times