16 April 2014
Recent figures released from the Civil Aviation Administration of China reveal that the number of pilots in China grew by 13% last year. However, with the aviation industry growing even faster, a shortage of pilots is expected to impact on the industry in coming years. As quoted in this Shanghai Daily article:
“Analysts say that China’s domestic airlines will require about 3,000 new pilots every year, while training schools in the country can supply only 2,000 pilots annually.”
In order to attract pilots to their airlines, some Chinese carriers are offering highly competitive salaries to attract pilots from other countries to work in China. For example, Shenzhen Airlines recently advertised salaries for a captain of up to $212,400.
The University of South Australia is one of two Australian universities with a flying academy and the only university in Adelaide to offer an aviation degree. Aviation students learn from highly qualified instructors in state-of-the-art environments all within close proximity of Parafield Airport. In recent years numerous University of South Australia aviation graduates have successfully found jobs in China-based airlines such as Hainan Airlines and Cathay Pacific.
