Annual Report of Chinese Airlines Pilot Development 2015 Released
Addtime：2016-04-05 11:04
The Annual Report of Chinese Airlines Pilot Development 2015 has been officially released. According to the report, the annual increase in the number of pilot licenses in China exceeded 12% for five consecutive years from 2011 to 2015, higher than the average growth rate of the domestic civil transport fleet size in the same period.
The report reveals that the shortage of captains in China’s airlines has been substantially alleviated. As of the end of 2015, in China, there were 12,460 active captains and 15,476 active co-pilots, with the number of valid pilot licenses totaling 45,523, up by 14.1% year over year. The percentage of female pilots increased remarkably, bringing the number to 599.
The report also published the crew fatigue factor. The figures show that the crew fatigue factor of China’s airlines was in general on a decline, with the value being less than 1 in all the 12 months in 2015 as opposed to eight months in 2013 and ten in 2014. According to a senior official from the Department of Flight Standards, CAAC, a crew fatigue factor less than 1 indicates the supply of crew just meets the demand, while a figure below 0.8 denotes an excess supply.
The report shows that the percentage of young pilots was on a gradual rise, with the majority of the pilots born in the 1980s. The captains were mainly aged between 28 and 60, and the co-pilots between 23 and 36. The official from the Department of Flight Standards, CAAC stated that this age structure was justifiable as an expanded young pilot base was more conducive to the stability and continued and healthy development of the entire pilot force. The report also shows that the number of foreign captains employed by China’s airlines declined.
In terms of general aviation, there was an overall increase in the total number of general aviation pilots in China in 2015, but the percentage remained low. It is noteworthy that the number of drone pilots grew by leaps and bounds in 2015. By December 31, 2015, China issued a total of 2,142 drone pilot certificates, an increase of nearly 9 times over 2014, mainly to civilian drone manufacturing and R&D enterprises, relevant drone users, as well as colleges and universities. A majority of the drone pilots were born in the 1980s and 1990s. There are currently 57 qualified training organizations for drone pilots.
Prev：China’s Home-Developed Airport Panorama Enhanced Surveillance System First Used