The flight is only what it used to be. Long lines to go through security, cyber attacks on airport check-in system, labor strikes, lost bags and cancellations. Now above these, there is a global lack of pilots and airlines are feeling pinch.
During and after the Covid-19 epidemic, pilot training was placed in several places as companies waited to see what the epidemic would do for the journey industry. Today, as a rebound of air travel, there is a training backlog, and schools are struggling to get new pilots in the air.
At the same time, the epidemic motivated several senior pilots to retire unexpectedly quickly. More are waiting to mold their wings, especially in North America.
This leaves the airlines with a dual challenge to compensate for a wave of retirement and find more pilots amidst the increasing demand for air travel, special holiday travel.
How many pilots are needed?
The current growth in air travel has surprised many airlines, Christoff Clinginberg said that for an airline and airport management specialist at Verms University of Applied Sciences in Germany.
“Since the pilots take several years to train, it will take a few years to normalize,” Klingonberg told DW.
How many pilots are required depending on the source, it varies greatly.
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the US would have inaugurated about 18,200 jobs for airline and commercial pilots every year for the next decade alone. Professional Outlook HandbookCombined together, it comes in more than 180,000 new American -based pilot jobs.
Keeping in mind the passenger and the goods, the planner Boeing Recently approximate It is a 660,000 new commercial pilot needed worldwide until 2044.
Being a pilot is a big investment
According to the Boeing report, “The pilots that start their training today will be well informed to start their training.” To meet this huge demand, interested pilots must have access to “relevant, inexpensive and accessible training”.
Although experienced pilots can earn a lot, joining the cockpit is a long and expensive journey.
In the US, flight training may cost more than $ 100,000 (€ 85,000), a challenging amount to discourage many from dreaming of an aviation job.
In addition to other certificates and ratings, US Federal Aviation Administration All the officers are required at the airline providing scheduled passenger air service to broadcast the Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate. On the extra 1,500 hours of flight experience, this is a requirement that can take one to two years for pilots to come out of school.
Just pay more to pilots?
Recently, several major and regional airlines have increased pilot salary to attract more applications and keep the pilots already existing with them.
“The greatest way to make a commercial airline pilot job more attractive is to sunk pay,” said Dan Bub, a professor at Nevada University, Las Vegas, specialized in commercial aviation. “For many years, it was particularly noticeable with regional airlines, where salary was low.”
“Today, the pilot salary is higher than the lakes in the long run,” Bub, who is a former airline pilot, told DW.
In addition to high base pay, some airlines are offering bonuses and other allowances to find and maintain pilots. Other flight employees are designing better work-life-balanced programs. All costs that passengers add to ticket prices.
But not all companies are so generous. This week, the Lufthansa pilots voted in favor of the strike after negotiating the pension contribution. So far, no strike date has been announced. This will be the first Lufthansa Pilot Strike 2022.
Compulsory retirement on 60, 65 or 67?
According to the rules imposed by the International Civil Aviation Organization, two decades ago, international airline pilots were forced to retire at 60. The group, which is located in an agency of Montreal, Canada and the United Nations, determines the rules for civil aviation in more than 190 countries.
The growth of retirement in 2006 was reduced to 65 with progress in health. Pilot deficiency and even high health standards, now some are increasing the retirement age to 67.
“Flight experience, often associated with age, is correlated with flight safety,” American Senator Ted Cruz wrote on September 19 in search of support to President Donald Trump to support the compulsory pilot retirement age.
“Air travel is more expensive than having a ‘arbitrary’ retirement age!” Cruise was added. “As you know, in economics, low supply necessarily leads to high prices.”
Whatever economics behind this, this idea has gone against the pilot union. And, so far, both Civil Aviation Organization and Federal Aviation Administration have maintained the current retirement age.
What else are the airlines doing to woo pilots?
To flow the supply of new pilots and already happy people who are happy in the air, the airlines need to increase their efforts, expand training facilities and recruit pilots from other non -commercial airlines, the argument of Christof Klingnberg.
They suspect that the retirement age is increasing to 67 “is a step in the right direction.”
BUBB said that some airlines around the world are hiring pilots with very few hours under their belts, offering large signature bonuses and forgiveing some requirements. Nevertheless, they should also, pass through rigorous training and pass the exam before taking control of gambling of an aircraft.
More automation in cockpit?
Can an increase in automation in Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Cockpit for a lack of pilots?
While many industries are carrying AI on the idea of using AI to streamline work, the airlines are coming back to the cockpit now, Klingenberg said, and not expected to change much in the coming decades.
AI will play an important role, but will not replace the pilots, Bub said. “I have no doubt that AI will make air travel more efficient in time and fuel burning, but will not replace humans,” Heer said.
To get a more living pilot in the air, it really depends on how much the demand for air travel is required. “I hope the situation will be applicable after 2030, so it may take five years to recover,” Klingenberg said.
Bub feels that the lack of deficiency wants “to remain modern” and gives a chance to the industry.
He said, “This is an opportunity for airlines to plan further so that they are active instead of begging, where there is a lack of pilots.”
Edited by: Uwe Hessler