interesting.....

http://www.aircargoworld.com/features/0308_1.htm

Yeah, I was going to post that. Great article.

Shortage of pilots or "cheap" pilots. Watch that shortage disappear once they start paying their captains more than 80k a year.

Oldfreightdawg: the shortage is real, at least in Asia, I was offer a job at Jade as Cap but then they send me e-mail replying that I got be Senior FO, and then with in year they will upgrade me. YEAH sure, I want to see how deep the rabbit hole goes!!!!!!!


Hainan pilot crisis reflects increasing competition for Chinese aviators
Monday March 3, 2008

Hainan Airlines is in crisis following the appeal of six pilots to the Haikou arbitration committee to have their labor contracts terminated. The six resigned at the end of last year, bringing to 20 the number of HNA pilots who have walked out since 2006.

The carrier has accepted none of the resignations and their disputes remain unresolved. Luo Zulin, one of the six who asked for arbitration yesterday, said the resignations were a result of "frequent overtime" and "long delays in getting their salary."

HNA is insisting on the validity the contracts and denied Luo's accusation regarding pay. It said that if the committee ruled in the pilots' favor, it would request several million yuan in compensation from them and the return of their licenses.

Air China, China Eastern Airlines, Xiamen Airlines and Xinhua Airlines also have faced labor disputes with resigned pilots, largely because Chinese carriers traditionally cover training expenses that can amount to millions of yuan per pilot. There is considerable reluctance to allow them to transfer to competing carriers.

Under a Pilots Flow Management Proposal policy implemented by CAAC in 2005, "the potential new employer" of these resigned pilots must attain the permission of the "old employer" before hiring, then pay compensation of CNY700,000-CNY2.1 million ($98,300-$294,800). According to CAAC statistics, China's commercial aviation fleet numbered 1,099 aircraft last Sept. 30 and is expected to rise to 1,250 by 2010, leading to an estimated shortfall of 200 pilots annually.

In order to make up the severe shortage, carriers are beginning to follow the internationally common practice of recruiting privately trained pilots (ATWOnline, Oct. 9, 2007). China Southern Airlines started the trend last May, announcing its plans to recruit 100 such pilots. Sichuan Airlines followed three months later, hiring 50 private pilots. Spring Airlines, East Star Airlines and Eagle Airlines have disclosed their interest in recruiting such pilots.



http://www.atwonline.com/news/story.html?storyID=11916

Mesa will make sure there's no pilot shortage in China. They even take care of hotel layovers by letting the pilots sleep on the airplanes. In flight.

I'd say: "Increase wages and improve lifestlyes"

Their answer: "Let them fly past 65"

Your right. Pay the money and the Shortage will disappear overnight.
I laugh when these CEO's in India or were ever cry about a pilot shortage. Then in small print they admit to paying wide body captains 60K USD.

It's terrible. They may actually have to pay these pilots more than peanuts and treat them well to ensure the profits keep coming.

What a management nightmare.

So maybe I should go to China, build up my glass cockpit time for a year, and then come back.

I heard Garuda was hiring pilots with as low as 250 total time! Sad thing is that the US government bucked me on that airline when I was in Japan!!

Did you mean Booked... because I've never been Bucked by our gov't other than in my posterior.... Twice I might add...