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Pilot drain raises fears for future of domestic airlines

Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) officials faced questions yesterday at the legislature's Transportation Committee over problems that are expected to arise in the near term as an increasing number of Taiwanese pilots seek job opportunities overseas.

Citing Taiwan Civil Aviation Airmen Association statistics, People First Party Legislator Lee Hung-chun (李鴻鈞) said the nation's airlines have recruited a total of 1,834 pilots, 600 of whom came from abroad.

The data also showed that from January to August, a total of 40 local pilots had left the country to work for foreign airlines, Lee said.

Statistics also showed that local airline companies, on average, paid overseas pilots US$12,000 per month, while paying local pilots US$8,000 a month, Lee said.

"The CAA must pay attention to this phenomenon as it might lead to a shortage of local pilots," Lee said. "Some of the local pilots may also have to work overtime, which could jeopardize flight safety."

Chen Ken-te (陳根德) of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) said that some Chinese airlines were said to be offering pilots from Taiwan a monthly salary of about 60,000 yuan (US$8,000), adding that some pilots are also given a 301m2 house after having worked with the same company for more than three years.

In response, CAA director-general Billy Chang (張國政) said that every country in the world tends to treat overseas pilots better than they do locals.

While some Taiwanese pilots choose to work for airlines in other countries, he said, many foreign pilots also seek to work for Taiwanese airlines.

Chang said he was not aware of the 40 Taiwanese pilots who had left for jobs overseas this year.

He also said it was unlikely any Taiwanese pilot would work overtime.

The administration would penalize airlines found in violation of safety regulations, Chang said.
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