ANA Holdings Inc. will accept 15 Myanmar trainees starting at the end of this month to work in ground services at Narita airport, including in operating passenger boarding bridges and loading cargo.

The major Japanese airline said this week it will train the workers at the request of the Myanmar government — the first time the company has accepted foreigners on a training program.

The Southeast Asian country hopes to expand its aviation sector as its economy grows, but faces an urgent need to nurture skilled workers in charge of ground services at airports, ANA said.

The trainees will be paid at the same level as Japanese staff, an airline official said.

ANA Narita Airport Services Co., the subsidiary directly involved in the training program, will continue to accept about 15 trainees from Myanmar annually.

ANA Holdings hasn't decided how long the program will continue, according to an ANA Holdings spokeswoman.

ANA is the only carrier that operates direct flights between Japan and Myanmar.