[originaltext] Foreign pilots are to be drafted into Chinese airlines to rel

Foreign pilots are to be drafted into Chinese airlines to relieve the shortage of qualified flyers. CAAC statistics show that about 11, 000 pilots are employed to fly more than 770 aircraft operated by the major Chinese commercial airlines, which industry experts consider as inadequate to cope with the rocketing demand for passenger services. Around 145 new aircraft will be delivered for operation this year in China, and the new planes alone will push aircraft numbers beyond the capacity of training schools to supply new pilots. (6) Industry experts estimate China needs between 1, 200 and 1, 600 new pilots every year since 2000, while the nation’s major training schools for commercial airline pilots can provide a maximum of 600 pilots annually.