Vietnam Airlines pilots receive new salary

According to the new salary policy, from June 1, Vietnam Airlines officially increased salaries for teachers and pilots. For the group of pilots flying B787 and A350 aircraft, captains will receive salaries from 205 - 246 million VND, co-pilots 124 - 150 million VND/month.

For the A321 pilots, the captain will receive 176 - 236 million VND/month, the co-pilot is 100 - 135 million. For the ATR pilots, the captain will be paid 156 - 186 million, the co-pilot 75 - 91 million.

For qualification examiners (DPE), the salary ranges from 210 - 297 million VND, for qualification examiners (TRI) 198-284 million.

It is expected that in 2019, pilot salaries will increase by 1-6 million VND/month, depending on the type of aircraft.

“The above income level of pilots based on machine classification is the pre-tax income calculated on average yearly. With this level, the airline’s Vietnamese pilots have an average after-tax income equal to 70% of foreign pilots currently working for the company,” Vietnam Airlines said.

Currently, foreign pilots, main pilots for B787 aircraft receive a salary of 265 - 268 million VND/month, co-pilots 181 - 199 million. For A350 aircraft, main pilots receive 238 - 266 million VND, co-pilots 163 - 187 million VND.

For pilots flying A321 and ATR72 aircraft, the salary ranges from 155 to 212 million, and for co-pilots from 98 to 162 million. This is the after-tax income of the foreign pilot group and does not include insurance and brokerage fees.

In previous years, the airline still paid personal income tax for pilots. In 2017, the total amount was 492 billion VND, of which 239 billion was paid to domestic pilots.

Pilot - a profession that continues to be "hot"

Mr. Duong Tri Thanh, General Director of Vietnam Airlines, said that from June 1, the Corporation has 1,138 pilots, including 853 Vietnamese pilots and 285 foreign pilots (25%).

Maintaining the foreign pilot population ensures that there are adequate numbers of experienced pilots and flight instructors.

Mr. Thanh said that in the past 3 years, the global aviation industry, especially in Asia, China, Northeast Asia and Southeast Asia, has grown strongly, leading to a shortage of pilots. Also because of the lack of human resources, the number of pilots quitting jobs is high, creating pressure for airlines.

Vietnam Airlines had 223 pilots resign from 2015 - 2017. In the first 5 months of this year, 33 pilots resigned and it is expected that nearly 20 people will apply.

The airline has recruited 64 pilots to compensate for those who have resigned and are applying for leave.

According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam, the country has 175 aircraft in operation with Vietnamese nationality. It is expected that by 2020, the number of aircraft in operation will reach over 220, and by 2030: over 400.

From now until 2030, the civil aviation industry will need about 200 pilots per year to meet development needs.

In 2017, 3 domestic airlines including Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet Air and Jeststar Pacific Airlines received a total of 24 new aircraft. It is easy to see that the demand for additional pilots in 2017 is about 232 people (each aircraft needs at least 4 flight crews to operate, each crew of 2 people).

There are three main sources of supply: students from the Bay Viet pilot training school, the FTC flight training center (a branch of Vietnam Airlines) and freelance workers (individuals who pay for basic training abroad under socialized pilot training programs). In total, each year, these three sources only meet the demand for 100-120 pilots. "This is the reason why we are forced to hire foreign pilots," a representative of Vietnam Airlines affirmed.

According to an aviation expert, the demand for pilots in particular and highly skilled human resources in the aviation industry in general will continue to be high in the future, and it is likely that new airlines will continue to enter the market. Airlines all want to develop their fleets while not preparing resources, so the shortage crisis is understandable.