Will America start exporting its airline pilots?
As airline layoffs accelerate, is the stage is being set for America to begin exporting its pilots overseas?
Consider Spirit Airlines’ recent decision to send some of its pilots and crew packing and to shutter its LaGuardia and San Juan bases. The airline is backpedaling this morning. Whatever.
There’s also speculation that American Airlines will begin laying off its pilots “once it finishes pulling 85 planes out of service.”
Despite these job cuts, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) “expects airline passenger traffic to grow by 5.1 percent between now and 2011.” And “In order to meet demand, 19,000 pilots will need to be trained each year until 2026. Flight schools currently crank out around 16,000 annually.”
Why the shortage? Part of it is “that waves of airline bankruptcies and wage cuts have made the prospect of a career in commercial aviation less than appealing,”
This shortage is being felt at Skymark a Japanese domestic discount airline. It is “canceling 168 flights this month because it lacks crews to fly them.” In India, “the mandatory retirement age for pilots has been raised from 60 to 65.”
Ascend Worldwide, a consulting firm reports that “56% of aviation experts believe flight safety has deteriorated due to a lack of qualified pilots, air traffic controllers, and mechanics.”
Will this shortage continue? Perhaps not. Once the airlines finishes their round of layoffs, we may see a surplus of pilots.
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