Air Macau estimates two years to recover 2019 staffing levels

Local air carrier Air Macau is struggling with the lack of crew members, especially pilots and co-pilots, the director of the company training department, Qi Yu, told government-owned media outlet TDM.

According to the figures cited in the report, the company currently employs 85 pilots and 80 co-pilots, -17.5% than in 2019. The airline is struggling to service existing pre-pandemic routes as well as expand into new routes.

According to Qi, although the company has already launched training courses for more pilots and co-pilots, it will take Air Macau up to two years to recover to the staff level of 2019.

At this first stage, the company has launched a training program for 10 new professionals, but Qi said that the plan is to increase the number of pilots working in the company to 90, and co-pilots to 95.

The plan launched in mid-August and is now accepting applicants until the end of October. They request candidates be Macau Permanent Residents with university degrees preferentially in Science or Technology, have a good command of written and spoken Chinese and English with a minimum TOEFL score of 71 or IELTS score of 6 or equivalent.

According to Air Macau, in the previous six recruitment and training rounds, the company recruited 41 people, 17 of which are currently working in the company. The other 24 are still undergoing training.