Chinese courts are continuing to order pilots to pay damages for quitting their jobs, enforcing the most contentious term in the employment contracts of a rapidly growing industry suffering extreme shortages of skilled labor. The latest ruling involves China Eastern, the Chinese airline that has suffered the most serious labor problems this year.

China has begun a six-month feasibility study for its planned large commercial aircraft, even though the country and its aircraft industry are already committed to building it. Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China has been established to build the aircraft, which passenger and weight figures suggest would be larger than a standard narrowbody. The feasibility study is likely to tighten that definition, while also reviewing such challenges as technology, after-sales service, the likely production run and project financing.

BEIJING – China says the liquid oxygen-kerosene 120-metric-ton (265,000-pound) thrust engines of its upcoming Long March 5 rocket have passed initial tests, while significant progress has been made on the plant at Tianjin that will build the launcher. State media say the rocket will be 59.5 meters (195 feet) high and the launch weight will be 643 metric tons (1.42 million pounds). The diameter of the Long March 5 has previously been given as 5 meters (16 feet 5 inches), compared with 3.35 meters for the current Long March 3.