New pilots on right course to lift airport

Aviation talent is still in worryingly short supply worldwide, so it was good to see Hong Kong poised to take another important step towards speeding up local flight crew recruitment with a new degree programme for aspiring pilots, starting from September. Hong Kong Metropolitan University and the Airport Authority’s International Aviation Academy programme course will offer a flying licence as part of a business administration bachelor’s degree in aviation services management.

Students on the four-year programme may earn the two qualifications for HK$1 million – a saving of HK$60,000 on tuition compared with pursuing pilot training separately. University president Paul Lam Kwan-sing said the goal was to provide “additional choice” for graduates.

Two banks and a finance firm will provide student loans with favourable interest rates. Academy president Simon Li Tin-chu said such support would open doors to more candidates from the city, the mainland and overseas. Training takes 14 months, with half a year in the city followed by another eight months in the United States to rack up 142 hours of flight training. Students will also be offered preliminary job interviews with four aviation partners – Hong Kong Airlines, HK Express, Greater Bay Airlines and Hong Kong Air Cargo.

Aspiring pilots should be encouraged by the news that cargo continues to be a bright spot for the city’s post-pandemic aviation recovery. Provisional figures released on Monday by Airports Council International ranked Hong Kong International Airport as the world’s busiest cargo airport. However, the terminal is still struggling in terms of overall recovery. Last year, aircraft manufacturer Boeing estimated that 649,000 new pilots would be needed by 2042 to support the global commercial fleet. About 10,000 are needed each year in China and Southeast Asia alone.

Transport officials are right to be optimistic that the programme will help lift Hong Kong’s credentials as an international and regional aviation hub. Still, the academy will only be able to handle about 100 local cadets each year. The industry and authorities must keep finding new ways to speed up recruitment and training.