Boeing Says China Needs 100,000 Pilots

Source: China Aviation Week

China will account new technicians and commercial pilots entering the market in the coming decades as reflection of the rapidly growing aircraft fleet.

Boeing has forecast that China will receive 6,630 new aircraft in the period 2015-2034, accounting for 44% of the total number of aircraft forecast to be delivered to the Asia region in that period. China is by far the biggest market in the region for new aircraft. The rest of northeast Asia, for example, is forecast to receive 1,450 new aircraft.

The relative proportions are also reflected in Boeing’s forecast for new technicians and commercial pilots. Boeing predicts that China will add 100,000 commercial pilots during 2015-2034, representing 44% of the total for Asia which is 226,000. China is clearly the biggest market, because the rest of northeast Asia is only projected to require 12,000 new pilots during that period. In terms of maintenance technicians, China will require 106,000 new technicians to be added during 2015-2034, says Boeing. This accounts for 45% of the total, which is 238,000.

The forecast data was released by Boeing Flight Services division, which is responsible for training pilots and technicians from around the world. Boeing has a vested interest in ensuring there are sufficient numbers of pilots and technicians, because if there are too few, then it can impact aircraft deliveries.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), for example, has in the past refused to issue air operator certificates (AOCs) to new start—up airlines that are unable to show they have sufficient numbers of pilots and technicians on the payroll. Robert Martin, CEO of BOC Aviation, says “we have started to see the issue of pilot shortage occurring in China again, but so far the CAAC has refrained from suspending any AOCs on these grounds. “That said, the CAAC is looking at the airlines very closely and monitoring the pilots’ flight hours to see that the pilots stay within flight—time duty limitations. If there is any evidence of [non-compliance] the CAAC is very quick to notify the airline and deal with it,” he adds.

China’s high demand for maintenance technicians may impact some other countries in Asia, such as Singapore, because some of them hire technicians from China to supplement their own workforce.