Pilot shortages look set to become the next big challenge for the aviation industry, which is currently recovering from the devastation of the pandemic, Bloomberg News reported in a report on Tuesday.
Thousands of pilots were laid off during the pandemic, while retirements were higher than normal and recruitment to pilot training courses has been sluggish, according to the CEO of Southeast Asia's largest flight school, Alpha Aviation Group.
New aircraft models will also require more and more trained pilots, which CEO Bhanu Choudrie says will contribute to the skills shortage. For example, the trend towards smaller long-haul aircraft such as the soon-to-be-launched Airbus A321 XLR will require 18 pilots to operate an aircraft full-time, compared to 10-12 for older models in the same family.
It has also not been as obvious as many thought to rehire pilots, cabin crew and ground staff as jobs in the aviation sector no longer look as secure as before.
”"Airlines will continue to buy planes and modernize their fleets, and pilots will be needed for that. More and more companies are coming to us and saying 'look at my delivery schedule – we need to have pilots in two years', so the trend is clear," the CEO told the news agency.Nyhetsbyrån Direkt
Source: Nyhetsbyrån Direkt
