"Pilot Shortage" -What Can We Do？
Over the past 10 years, with the rapid development of the internet information technology revolution, the development of the world economy has been characterized by regionalization and globalization. Meanwhile, soaring oil prices, terrorist attacks and economic slump have intensified competition among all the airlines. The aviation industry has had to seek development in times of hardship. The shortage of pilots has become more insistent, which has seriously stunted the expansion of the aviation industry.
The latest report of the International Air Transport Association shows that in the past year, four billion people chose to take a plane for travelling worldwide. The demand for the year ended 31 December rose 7.6% compared to 2016. This was well above the 10-year average annual growth rate of 5.5%.
Due to the increasing number of passengers taking flights, the capacity requirements for airlines and airports has been challenging. So we see the major airlines have made a number of aircraft orders. According to a study published by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO); by 2030, the number of flights in the world will double to 50 million, and the number of aircraft will exceed 151,000. In the meantime, it also needs 980,000 pilots, which means 50,000 new pilots a year need to be trained to fill the gap.
In General, the regions with the largest pilot shortages are the fastest growing areas of the airline industry; the Asia-Pacific region, Latin America and the Middle East. Some airlines and local authorities have already taken action in response to a shortage of pilots. On the one hand, they retain the existing pilots, while on the other hand, they recruit more non-native pilots as well. In Australia, the federal government is now planning to open two year working visas to overseas pilots in an effort to resolve the pilot shortage in the short-term. In Russia, over the past few years, many experienced pilots moved to high-paying airlines in China or other Asian airlines. In late 2017, the authorities took action to restrict the brain drain and set up barriers for pilots to get the mandatory documents and make it harder for pilots to provide those documents to foreign airlines. It is well known that Chinese airlines attract experienced foreign pilots though high salaries and benefits. Some Airlines offer up to $270,000 a year, which is about twice the average American Captain’s salary. The pilots could check Brookfield’s job board for more details. Check our jobs
As the pilots’ flow and loss, the pilot training has also been paid more attention. Airlines invest heavily in pilot training programmes. The Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA) has the plan to set up the world's first integrated aviation university and training campus in the Karnataka capital by using $125 million investment.
Brookfield is also working on pilot training programs, actively working with airlines and operating line training programmes to provide more opportunities for lesser experienced pilots to develop their flying skills. At the same time, we are working together to enhance the attractiveness of pilot careers for the younger generation. We always know young people are the hope of the future.
