World pilot shortage threatens flight safety
World pilot shortage threatens flight safety
Analysts say air travel boom could mean less experienced pilots behind the controls
HOT DEMAND: Pilots are needed urgently by airlines, with most of the experienced ones in Asia and Africa leaving for places such as the Persian Gulf. -- PHOTO: ISTOCKPHOTO
BRUSSELS - GLOBAL flight safety is in jeopardy because of a shortage of pilots, aviation analysts have warned, noting that some airlines are being forced to hire fresh recruits whose lack of experience may be a danger in the skies.
The extraordinary growth in global air traffic and the rise of low-cost carriers are why airlines are sourcing for new blood, analysts were quoted as saying in an Associated Press report.
Top aviation companies Boeing and Airbus have forecast that the global airline fleet 'will more than double over the next 20 years', said Alteon Training, a wholly owned subsidiary of Boeing and is part of its Commercial Aviation Services group.
'That means the world's airlines will need an additional 25,000 plus planes by 2025, in addition to the 17,000 planes that will already be in service,' Alteon president Sherry Carbary said at the 10th Annual World Aviation Training Symposium and Trade Show last month.
What it also means is that airlines will face rising demands for new pilots - 18,000 every year on average through 2025, said Ms Carbary, whose company claims to be the world's first full-service provider of airline training.
The pilot shortage is relatively recent. It is the result of extraordinary air traffic growth in the Persian Gulf, China and India, the rise of lucrative low-cost carriers in Europe and Asia and the sustained recovery of US airlines from the industry recession caused by the Sept11, 2001, attacks.
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'There is a giant sucking sound luring pilots to rapidly expanding airlines such as Emirates and Qatar, and the budget carriers,' said Mr William Voss, head of the Flight Safety Foundation.
'The result is that experienced pilots from developing countries in Asia and Africa are leaving in droves for places like the Gulf, and (those countries) are left with no choice but to recruit pilots fresh out of flight school.'
As testimony to the phenomenal growth in the Middle East, the Gulf Daily News reported this month that three major regional airlines - Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways - ordered 237 aircraft just last month.
'The rate of expansion in the region is astronomical,' former Gulf Air pilot Ishaq Kooheji was quoted as saying in the Gulf Daily report.
He said the recent order of more than 200 planes meant the airlines would have to hire 5,000 people to fly them in the coming months.
The staff crunch airlines are facing is making it harder to properly train new pilots. Flight schools now complain they are understaffed as instructors are hired by regional carriers who have lost pilots to expanding airlines.
And the lack of experienced pilots means bad news for the industry, said analysts,
Initial findings from the probe into the March 7 crash of a Garuda Indonesia jet showed that a misunderstanding between the pilot and his rookie first officer may have contributed to the crash, said the Associated Press report.
'Although all airline pilots are trained to the same standards... there are certain intangibles that only come from experience,' said Mr Patrick Smith, a US-based airline pilot and aviation writer. 'Like skill and a solid familiarity with airline operations.'
Evidence of the exodus of pilots and mechanics from established airlines and national flag carriers abounds. And poaching is expected to intensify as Asian markets such as China and India grow phenomenally.
Around Asia, pilots from national airlines such as Garuda have deserted them for better paying jobs with new and successful budget carriers such as Malaysia's AirAsia.
In Europe, Belgium's largest carrier Brussels Airlines recently complained of losing an average of 10 captains a month to pilot-hungry airlines in the Gulf, and has requested government intervention.
In the US, where thousands of veteran pilots had left the industry after being laid off following the Sept 11 attacks, regional carriers were giving jobs to first officers with considerably less experience than required 15 years ago.
Figures released by the International Air Transport Association showed that global air travel will likely grow 4 per cent to 5 per cent a year over the next decade, though the aviation boom in India and China is expected to exceed 7 per cent.
The Persian Gulf, the fastest growing region for both passengers and cargo, registered growth of 15.4 per cent and 16.1 per cent respectively last year.
Reflecting this expansion, Boeing and Airbus received a joint total of 1,100 new orders in the first half of this year.
This growth helps to explain why airlines everywhere are recruiting pilots aggressively.
On average, airlines need 30 highly trained pilots for each long-haul aircraft in their inventory. For each short-haul plane, they need about 10 to 18 pilots.
In an effort to retain experienced pilots, the aviation authorities in some countries - including the US - are considering extending the mandatory retirement age from 60 to 65 years.
Other airlines plan to moderate their standards, allowing new graduates to co-pilot with experienced captains.
Industry watchers also warned that airlines may be tempted to roster their pilots up to the maximum flight time allowed by regulations, which could cause more pilot fatigue.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Analysts say air travel boom could mean less experienced pilots behind the controls
HOT DEMAND: Pilots are needed urgently by airlines, with most of the experienced ones in Asia and Africa leaving for places such as the Persian Gulf. -- PHOTO: ISTOCKPHOTO
BRUSSELS - GLOBAL flight safety is in jeopardy because of a shortage of pilots, aviation analysts have warned, noting that some airlines are being forced to hire fresh recruits whose lack of experience may be a danger in the skies.
The extraordinary growth in global air traffic and the rise of low-cost carriers are why airlines are sourcing for new blood, analysts were quoted as saying in an Associated Press report.
Top aviation companies Boeing and Airbus have forecast that the global airline fleet 'will more than double over the next 20 years', said Alteon Training, a wholly owned subsidiary of Boeing and is part of its Commercial Aviation Services group.
'That means the world's airlines will need an additional 25,000 plus planes by 2025, in addition to the 17,000 planes that will already be in service,' Alteon president Sherry Carbary said at the 10th Annual World Aviation Training Symposium and Trade Show last month.
What it also means is that airlines will face rising demands for new pilots - 18,000 every year on average through 2025, said Ms Carbary, whose company claims to be the world's first full-service provider of airline training.
The pilot shortage is relatively recent. It is the result of extraordinary air traffic growth in the Persian Gulf, China and India, the rise of lucrative low-cost carriers in Europe and Asia and the sustained recovery of US airlines from the industry recession caused by the Sept11, 2001, attacks.
RELATED LINKS
MORE PLANES, MORE PILOTS
'There is a giant sucking sound luring pilots to rapidly expanding airlines such as Emirates and Qatar, and the budget carriers,' said Mr William Voss, head of the Flight Safety Foundation.
'The result is that experienced pilots from developing countries in Asia and Africa are leaving in droves for places like the Gulf, and (those countries) are left with no choice but to recruit pilots fresh out of flight school.'
As testimony to the phenomenal growth in the Middle East, the Gulf Daily News reported this month that three major regional airlines - Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways - ordered 237 aircraft just last month.
'The rate of expansion in the region is astronomical,' former Gulf Air pilot Ishaq Kooheji was quoted as saying in the Gulf Daily report.
He said the recent order of more than 200 planes meant the airlines would have to hire 5,000 people to fly them in the coming months.
The staff crunch airlines are facing is making it harder to properly train new pilots. Flight schools now complain they are understaffed as instructors are hired by regional carriers who have lost pilots to expanding airlines.
And the lack of experienced pilots means bad news for the industry, said analysts,
Initial findings from the probe into the March 7 crash of a Garuda Indonesia jet showed that a misunderstanding between the pilot and his rookie first officer may have contributed to the crash, said the Associated Press report.
'Although all airline pilots are trained to the same standards... there are certain intangibles that only come from experience,' said Mr Patrick Smith, a US-based airline pilot and aviation writer. 'Like skill and a solid familiarity with airline operations.'
Evidence of the exodus of pilots and mechanics from established airlines and national flag carriers abounds. And poaching is expected to intensify as Asian markets such as China and India grow phenomenally.
Around Asia, pilots from national airlines such as Garuda have deserted them for better paying jobs with new and successful budget carriers such as Malaysia's AirAsia.
In Europe, Belgium's largest carrier Brussels Airlines recently complained of losing an average of 10 captains a month to pilot-hungry airlines in the Gulf, and has requested government intervention.
In the US, where thousands of veteran pilots had left the industry after being laid off following the Sept 11 attacks, regional carriers were giving jobs to first officers with considerably less experience than required 15 years ago.
Figures released by the International Air Transport Association showed that global air travel will likely grow 4 per cent to 5 per cent a year over the next decade, though the aviation boom in India and China is expected to exceed 7 per cent.
The Persian Gulf, the fastest growing region for both passengers and cargo, registered growth of 15.4 per cent and 16.1 per cent respectively last year.
Reflecting this expansion, Boeing and Airbus received a joint total of 1,100 new orders in the first half of this year.
This growth helps to explain why airlines everywhere are recruiting pilots aggressively.
On average, airlines need 30 highly trained pilots for each long-haul aircraft in their inventory. For each short-haul plane, they need about 10 to 18 pilots.
In an effort to retain experienced pilots, the aviation authorities in some countries - including the US - are considering extending the mandatory retirement age from 60 to 65 years.
Other airlines plan to moderate their standards, allowing new graduates to co-pilot with experienced captains.
Industry watchers also warned that airlines may be tempted to roster their pilots up to the maximum flight time allowed by regulations, which could cause more pilot fatigue.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
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