Secondary school students should learn to navigate the skies

Recruitment for the aviation industry should start at secondary school level to combat the severe shortage of local pilots in Hong Kong, according to the Hong Kong Air Cadet Corps (HKACC).

Its commanding officer, Leonard K. P. Leung, says that only about 20 per cent of pilots in Hong Kong are local at present.

He says those who want to receive aviation training tend to go abroad.

'We have done too little for aviation manpower development,' says Mr Leung.

He suggests that its recruitment drive should begin at secondary school level because a bigger pool of potential talents could be tapped.

As Hong Kong is an air transport centre of the Asia-Pacific region and has one of the world's best airports, Mr Leung believes the aviation industry will further develop.