Why China's Elite Expat Pilots Are Trading Red Carpets for Red-Eye Departures

The era of the highly-paid expat pilot in China is ending. Once heavily recruited to fill a critical gap, foreign captains are now a small minority. Their numbers have dwindled significantly over the past six years.

The Golden Age of Foreign Captains

Chinese carriers aggressively recruited foreign captains in the 2000s and 2010s. This was a direct response to a severe pilot shortage in the burgeoning market. Airlines offered sky-high salaries, sometimes reaching 1 million yuan a year, along with generous benefits.

This hiring strategy provided a short-cut for fleet expansion. Training a local first officer to captain typically takes seven years or more. Overseas professionals offered immediate expertise, especially on international trunk routes.

At their peak in 2018, foreign captains represented about 9% of all certified captains actively flying in China, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) data. Carriers like China Southern Airlines relied on them heavily. In 2017-2018, foreigners made up nearly one-third of captains operating advanced widebody jets like the Boeing 777 and Airbus A330 on long-haul routes.

A Rapid Decline in Numbers

The trend began to reverse sharply after 2018. By the end of 2024, the share of foreign captains dropped to less than 2%.

• The total number of foreigners holding an Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) licence fell to 1,926 by the end of 2024.
• This is a steep drop from 3,802 foreign ATP licence holders in 2020.
• The decline is attributed to several interconnected factors.

Regulatory and Safety Shifts

In 2019, the CAAC introduced new guidelines for managing overseas pilots. The regulator requested that the percentage of foreign pilots be capped within a “reasonable range.” This policy shift followed several high-profile incidents involving expat pilots. These included a Xiamen Air runway overshoot in Manila in 2018 and a Sichuan Airlines captain failing an alcohol test in 2021. The new rules cautioned against hiring foreigners with potential “personality or communication issues.”

Economic and Global Turbulence

The industry faced a double whammy shortly after the new guidelines.

1. Boeing 737 Max Grounding: China was the first to ground the 737 Max in March 2019. Expats hired specifically to fly the Max were immediately furloughed.
2. The Covid-19 Pandemic: The pandemic led to mass flight cancellations and a complex quarantine regimen. Foreign pilots, being more expensive, were often the first to be let go. Many opted to quit and return home.

While the sector is recovering, the journey remains challenging. China’s civil aviation passenger traffic reached 770 million in 2025, a 5.5% year-on-year increase, according to CAAC data. The industry reported a combined profit of 6.5 billion yuan (US$931.5 million) in 2025. However, this is significantly lower than the 54.1 billion yuan profit seen in 2019.

The Rise of Domestic Talent

The long-term strategy of training local pilots is now bearing fruit. Heavy investment in recruitment and training has created a large reserve of certified Chinese captains.

• The CAAC noted in 2019 that the pilot talent shortage had been “significantly eased.”
• Airlines responded to the CAAC's cap on expats by accelerating local pilot promotions.

This shift has changed the demographic of remaining foreign pilots. Many Americans and Europeans have left. The top four nationalities of expat captains in 2024 were South Korean, Russian, Mexican, and Brazilian.

Despite the exodus, a small, specialized need remains. Low-cost carrier Spring Airlines is a notable exception. It had 64 foreign captains in 2024, over 10% of its roster. Industry experts agree that a tiny but necessary group of expat captains will continue to complement Chinese counterparts. They bring invaluable international exposure and expertise, which remains crucial as the market continues its post-pandemic recovery and global expansion.

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