Boeing (Chicago) has announced it will expand its flight and maintenance training capabilities in Russia with a new, state-of-the-art training campus.

Initial capability will include flight, maintenance and specialty training. Local maintenance training will be available across the spectrum of Boeing aircraft currently in operation, and flight training capability will include locally based instructors.

The new facility will open with four simulator bays, featuring three Next-Generation 737 full-flight simulators and one 777 full-flight simulator. Two of the simulators will be built by Transas. The facility is designed to allow for expansion to accommodate additional training capacity as required by customers.

Groundbreaking on the new training and research campus is scheduled for spring 2014, with training beginning in mid-2015.

The Boeing 2013 Pilot & Technician Outlook estimates that the Commonwealth of Independent States, including Russia, will require 15,200 new commercial airline pilots and 18,000 new technicians over the next two decades, supporting 1,530 new commercial airplanes by 2032. The new training campus in Russia is a significant investment in the region’s aviation safety, and will reduce travel times for airline crews and the costs of sending students for training.

Boeing Flight Services continually examines the global outlook for aviation training, and works to ensure training is available where it’s needed—near customers. In November, ground was broken on a new training facility in Korea. In August, Miami became the hub for pro forma flight training in the Americas— including 787 training —after the placement of additional flight simulators from Seattle. Three new simulators were also announced for the global training network in 2013: a third 787 full-flight simulator in London, and additional 777 and Next-Generation 737 simulators in Singapore.

In other news, Boeing Chairman, President and Chief Executive Jim McNerney announced Boeing’s board of directors authorized an additional $10 billion for the company’s share repurchase plan and declared that the company’s regular quarterly dividend will increase by approximately 50 percent to 73 cents per share.

The timing and volume of repurchases are at the discretion of Boeing management, however it is currently expected that the share repurchases will be made over the next two to three years. Repurchases may be made on the open market or in privately negotiated transactions.

The dividend declared today is payable March 7, 2014, to shareholders of record as of February 14, 2014.