Page 15 - AAA NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2017 Online Magazine

FEATURE PILOT SHORTAGE

with 337 million new passengers for a total While carriers and industry experts that is affected. In a clear indication that the
of 478 million, Indonesia, with 235 million discuss ways to tackle the shortage, pilots and U.S. military is also hurting badly because
new passengers for a total of 355 million, their unions say the problem can be solved by of the lack of enough aviators, President
and Turkey, which will see 119 million new ensuring that the pay offered by carriers is Donald Trump recently invoked the National
passengers for a total of 196 million. The good enough to attract new talent and retain Emergencies Act and signed an executive
industry will not only have to ensure a steady them. Many carriers have already moved in order that allows the Air Force to voluntarily
stream of new pilots to meet the demand in that direction; United, American and Delta recall up to 1,000 retired pilots for active
these countries but also deal with the need have all signed new contracts with their pilots duty. The intention is to get the force ready as
created by other fast-growing markets, many to raise their hourly wages. Working conditions the administration gets ready to act on a new
of which are in Africa. have improved considerably as well. Afghanistan war strategy that includes more
U.S. troops in Afghanistan and increased U.S.
Fancy Salaries Regional Airlines Hit Hard air support for the Afghan military.
In developing Asian countries, the costs U.S. carriers have started feeling the pinch “We anticipate that the Secretary of
of becoming a pilot can be prohibitive – already. In 2016, Republic Airways, a feeder Defence will delegate the authority to the
especially in countries that do not have an airline for United Airlines, Delta Air Lines Secretary of the Air Force to recall up to
adequate number of aviation academies and American Airlines, filed for bankruptcy 1,000 retired pilots for up to three years,” said
of their own. While major carriers have protection after it had to ground many of Navy Cmdr. Gary Ross, Pentagon spokesman,
cadetship programmes or have links to its planes due to shortage pilots. The airline, in a statement.
training academies that ensure a steady which had a fleet of about 240 regional jets, The Air Force does not intend to
stream of pilots, many emerging Asian has since emerged from bankruptcy. Earlier immediately act on the freedom they now
airlines have been forced to compete with this year, Horizon Air, the regional arm of have to recall retired pilots, but as per the
each other for the limited number of pilots Alaska Airlines, canceled 6 percent of its Pentagon, the service is short by about
that are available. The situation is different schedule, or more than 300 flights, in August 1,500 pilots. The shortage is not limited to
in China where between 4,000 and 5,000 and September due to a pilot crisis. Irish the Air Force; other branches of the military,
new airline pilots are needed every year for budget carrier Ryanair has also had to cancel including the Navy, also are wondering when
the next two decades; with training schools flights due to the same reason. and where their next qualified pilot is going
not churning out the required of pilots, some It is not a coincidence that regional airlines to come from.
carriers are offering skilled pilots annual are the first ones to bear the brunt of the The shortage of Air Force pilots is a
salaries of more than US$300,000. It is not a crisis. The disparity in pay in the U.S. between direct consequence of the dearth felt in the
coincidence that carriers in the country have pilots of regional carriers and that of major commercial airline industry. Carriers, not only
managed to attract top notch talent from airlines is so great that poaching is common within the country but also in Europe and
various corners of the globe. practice. With big airlines taking hundreds of Asia, have been increasingly and aggressively
pilots away from small carriers every year, wooing Air Force pilot with attractive pay
Losing Experience cancellation of flights among regional airlines packages. Waking up to the threat posed
Fleet growth and retirement of current pilots have become increasingly common. by carriers, the service has come up with
will generate a need for 117,000 new pilots in There is competition from other parts of programmes to retain talent, such as the
North America, which has a high percentage the globe - carriers in the Middle East and Asia Aviator Bonus Programme that are worth up
of older pilots. Imagine 16 new pilots entering are offering huge money for pilots. According to US$455,000 over 13 years. Although not for
the U.S. airline industry every day, or 5,840 a to Ross, the CEO of Wasinc International, a firm pilots only, the force’s “100 percent promotion
year over the next twenty years; it has never that finds pilots for Chinese airlines, the pay for opportunity” programme is also intended to
happened before and it will have to happen pilots keep going higher because there simply stop the talent drain from the service.
for carriers to be able to meet the demand aren’t enough pilots to meet the demand.
for air travel. In an attempt to retain aviators, regional Stricter Guidelines
While the demand for pilots in Asia Pacific carriers have hiked pay and introduced sign on Another fact that is compounding the crisis
is driven mostly by the growth in fleet size of bonuses - the average starting pay has gone for U.S.-based carriers is the fact that it
carriers, it is retirement of active pilots that is up from US$23,000 to $46,000 in the last few is harder to become a pilot these days. A
causing a headache for airlines in the United years. The increase is, however, not enough decade ago, a pilot could fly a regional airliner
States. According to a report earlier this year to keep skilled pilots from moving to bigger with as few as 250 hours of flight time, but
by Cowen & Company, about 22,000 pilots, or carriers; senior pilots and captains at major U.S. after a series of crashes culminating in the
42percent of active U.S. airline pilots, will retire airlines take home between about US$150,000- 2009 Colgan Air crash that killed 50 outside
over the next 10 years. The retirement of pilots US$200,000 annually, on average. of Buffalo, new pilot training rules were
of carriers in the country will start to rise sharply introduced. New pilots require 1,500 hours of
from 2021, as the current generation of pilots The Air Force Angle flight time before they get their air transport
bow out at 65, the mandated age of retirement. It is not only the commercial airline industry pilots license.
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