Shenzhen Airlines has recruited 40 Brazilian pilots, most of whom had previously worked for Brazil's bankrupt national airline Varig.

Eighteen of the pilots have already arrived in China, and the others will come soon, local media report.

Xinhua reports that faced with an acute shortage of pilots, many Chinese airlines are looking for pilots overseas. Shenzhen Airlines has already recruited nearly 60 pilots from Brazil, Russia, the United States and other countries.

Shenzhen Airlines officials reportedly went to Brazil two months ago to recruit pilots there. The 18 pilots who are already in China have received their licenses from Chinese authorities and are currently taking Chinese language courses.