Armindo Souza Viriatode Freitas used to be a pilot for Brazil’s
Varig Airlines, but today he holds the crucial position of
Assistant Manager in Shenzhen Airlines’ Aviation Department, says
the Shenzhen Economic Daily.
In April 2003, China’s civil aviation industry was in the midst
of a SARS-inspired downturn. To help overcome this, Shenzhen
Airlines, which has always maintained high profits, decided to
advertise for pilots in Brazil, where there is an excess of
experienced pilots. Forty-seven-year-old Freitas was one of the
successful candidates to respond.
During 18 months training and aviation Freitas diligently
displayed his rich aviation experience, leading to his promotion to
Assistant Manager in September.
The move quickly became a hot topic of conversation amongst
Shenzhen Airlines’ staff and even Freitas was surprised by it. The
airline’s management said his promotion was just the beginning;
they will be employing other foreign high-level administrators in a
trial to help meet international standards and improve their
overall performance.
Freitas became the first foreign pilot to enter China’s civil
aviation management and his harmonious working relationships with
Chinese colleagues clearly add to his suitability for the role.
He is now in charge of training foreign pilots, and one of his
main tasks is to ensure they work according to Shenzhen Airlines’
requirements and have everything they need to do so. He said: “I
will do my best to help everyone here, what I should do is to make
a contribution to Shenzhen Airlines with my aviation
experience.”
Him, his wife and 8 year-old son have become used to life in
Shenzhen and have been greatly impressed by the city in the last 18
months. Freitas likes Chinese food very much, particularly hot
pickled vegetables!
“Becoming Assistant Manager is the most successful experience of
my life, I will make painstaking efforts for Shenzhen Airlines;
Brazil is my motherland, but Shenzhen is my second hometown”, said
Freitas.
Of the 17 active pilots from major Brazilian carriers employed
by Shenzhen Airlines, ten were captains and seven assistant pilots.
All of them will be working on routes between Shenzhen and Beijing,
Shanghai, Wuhan and Nanjing.
According to Shenzhen Economic Daily, the Brazilian
aviation market has been depressed because of poor domestic
economic conditions and has offered a good development opportunity
for rapidly growing Chinese airlines. After Shenzhen Airlines
advertised in Brazil’s local media, a surprisingly large number of
well-trained and experienced captains applied.
Shenzhen Airlines began to employ foreign pilots in May 2003.
Today, Shenzhen Airlines has some 40 from, among others, the United
States, Italy, Russia, Norway, Bulgaria, Australia, Georgia and
Singapore. The company said that employing them can not only
improve their colleagues’ English but also overall staff skills
through technical exchange between foreign and Chinese pilots.
Shenzhen Airlines only has one-fiftieth of China’s domestic
civil aviation plane stock, yet their profit is one-fifth of the
total, and in the last two years they produced more than 20% annual
capital returns.
Their aim is to be fully geared up to meet international
standards and employing foreign pilots is an important part of
achieving this. Today, Shenzhen Airlines provides English training
for staff, with English language skills becoming a requirement for
promotion and, in two years’ time, a basic requirement of
employment.
(China.org.cn by Wang Sining October 21, 2004)