Page 35 - AAA JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2018 Online Magazine

As air travel demand surges in the region, pilot
recruitment for airlines is more important than ever
ROOM FOR MORE

Atul Chandra

Over the coming to be developed into new airline Boom in the Offing

decade, the pilot captains (more than in any pre- trong passenger growth
demand will be stron- vious decade). As per the report, also supports the require-
Ogest in the Asia-Pacific “This record demand will chal- ment for trained pilots
region as airlines rapidly induct lenge current pilot recruitment Sin the region, which will
new generation jetliners to main- channels and development pro- create a boom in setting up of
tain their leadership positions grams. In turn, new and innovative ab-initio pilot training institutions
while grappling with the demands pilot career pathways and training and simulator training facilities.
of having sufficient numbers of systems will be required to meet The International Air Transport
trained aircrew to fill the cock- the industry’s crewing needs and Association (IATA) forecasts a rise
pits of these new aircraft. On ever-evolving safety standards.” in passenger numbers to 4.3 bil-
many occasions, a shortage of Another opportunity that will arise lion in 2018, a six percent increase
trained pilots and aircrew have over the coming decade will be over the 4.1 billion passengers in
resulted in an airline having to the growth of programmes to 2017. “These are good times for
defer aircraft deliveries. Leading encourage that young women to the global air transport industry.
Canadian training solutions consider an aviation career and Safety performance is solid. We
organization CAE, which is also undergo flight training. According have a clear strategy that is deliv-
the world leader in commercial to CAE, Women currently rep- ering results on environmental
flight simulators has now been resent less than five percent of performance. More people than
delivering approximately 30-40 airline pilots. ever are traveling. The demand for
percent of the simulators it sells Airline-focused flight training air cargo is at its strongest level
to customers in Asia. According academies produce an increasing in over a decade. Employment is
to CAE’s first Airline Pilot Demand proportion of the pilots flying growing. More routes are being
Outlook: 10-year view, released in today’s commercial airlines. opened. Airlines are achieving
in June 2017, the global commer- These professional academies sustainable levels of profitability.
cial fleet is expected to grow by provide an environment with It’s still, however, a tough business,
12,000 aircraft to roughly 37,000 set schedules, access to pilots, and we are being challenged on
aircraft by 2027. As a result, as mentoring, mandatory uniforms the cost front by rising fuel, labour
per the report, 255,000 new air- and an airline mindset. When and infrastructure expenses,”
enrolled in programs built
line pilots will be required over to airline-specific operating said IATA’s Director General and
the next 10 years and the rapid procedures, cadets train to a CEO, Alexandre de Juniac said in
airline fleet expansion and high professional standard from day January.
pilot retirement rates, will result one -- CAE airline Pilot demand
in 180,000 first officers having Outlook: 10-Year view

ASIAN AIRLINES & AEROSPACE January/February 2018 | 35