Kina hever pensjonsalderen fra 60 til 62 for å avhjelpe et akutt flygerproblem - AIN

China To Raise Pilot Retirement Age to 62

After much thought and debate, China plans to raise the retirement age of pilots working with local airlines from 60 to 62 in 2021 as part of its plan to help ease an acute shortage. According to Chinese state projections, the country’s airlines will require 5,000 pilots per year to meet the rapid expansion and growth of the local civil aviation industry. Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) official Ma Lin told AIN that the number of pilots required by Chinese airlines increases every year as carriers expand their networks and fleets and build frequencies. China’s aviation market grew 13.1 percent in 2017, as 549.7 million Chinese traveled that year. Estimates place market growth at 16 to 17 percent this year. The world’s fastest-growing aviation market, China continues to attract foreign pilots with generous remuneration packages of as much as $310,000 a year for experienced captains with a current type rating. Some airlines offer tax-free salaries to outdo others. Contracts usually run three years with provision for expansion. In the early 2000s, virtually no foreign pilots worked in China. Today, some 1,600 foreign pilots now fly for Chinese carriers. According to Boeing’s 2017 to 2036 forecast, Chinese airline fleets will close to triple, to 7,240 aircraft over the next 20 years, requiring some 100,000 pilots. Read Expanded Version