Press Review today:
Belgian national airline suffers shortage of pilots
Brussels Airlines, the national carrier of Belgium, is experiencing serious shortage of pilots after some 50 pilots and co-pilots resigned in the past six months, Belgian paper Le Soir reported Tuesday.
In order to guarantee operation of its flights in September and October, Brussels Airlines has to call in some pilots who were hired by the former national carrier Sabena airline, which went bankrupt in 2001.
These 58 and 59-year-old pilots will be posted on long haul flights under independent contracts.
The airline will also have to hire an airplane with pilots from another airline to operate European flights, the report said.
The people who have left Brussels Airlines are primarily experienced pilots. They were either recruited by Air France or switched over to budget airlines which offer better pay packages.
Brussels Airlines has launched a recruitment campaign and is considering raising payment in response to the shortage.
"Belgian airlines cannot offer the same fiscal advantages as foreign companies. The Belgian government must take urgent measures to safeguard the competitive position of Belgian airlines on the world labor market," said Geert Sciot, who is in charge of Brussels Airlines' communications.
Source: Xinhua