Instructions to airlines on pilot training and maintenance threaten to hold up airliner purchase and lease approvals
The Chinese authorities have issued a sudden directive, in the wake of last month's fatal Bombardier CRJ200 crash, to address pilot shortages that could limit the importation of commercial aircraft into the country.
"If [Chinese airlines] want to bring aircraft into China they must have a report to ensure they have enough pilots and airworthiness capability," says the safety office of the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC).
The new directive from the CAAC's safety office applies to all aircraft ordered or leased after 1 December 2004. The CAAC official says airlines that seek to order or lease additional aircraft must file the required report with the regional administrations of the CAAC. "The intention is to limit the number of aircraft imported into China," says a Chinese airline source.
The directive follows the 21 November crash of a Yunnan Airlines CRJ200 about 1min after take-off, killing all 53 people on board and two people on the ground.
The cause of the accident is unknown, but the rapid growth of China's commercial aircraft fleet in recent years has led to a pilot shortage. The problem has prompted carriers such as Shenzhen Airlines to recruit foreign pilots from as far away as Brazil. In China there are now around 30 foreign pilots, according to the CAAC.
Currently the country has 10,503 commercial pilots, but "we will probably need to recruit at least 12,000 commercial pilots from now to the year 2010", says the CAAC's flight standards office.
This is because the CAAC estimates China's commercial aircraft fleet will increase from around 700 at year-end to 1,200 by 2010. But currently China's two CAAC-certified pilot training schools are capable of training only 750-900 pilots a year.
The CAAC Flying College in Sichuan province can train 600-700 pilots each year and the China Southern Airline Flying School in Perth, Australia can train 150-200 pilots a year, says the CAAC.
LEITHEN FRANCIS / SINGAPORE
Source: Flight International
