Pilot shortage: is your safety at risk?

The recovery of the aviation industry in America following 9/11, the increase in the number of lucrative budget airlines in Europe, Asia and recently North America, and the growth of the aviation industry as a whole in India, China and the Persian Gulf have led to an incredible world wide demand for pilots.

“There is a giant sucking sound, luring pilots to rapidly expanding airlines such as Emirates and Qatar and the budget carriers,” said William Voss, head of the Flight Safety Foundation.

Experienced pilots from all over the world are being drawn to the high salaries and many perks of working for companies in the Gulf. While that may be good for some airlines, it leaves others with little options than to hire inexperienced pilots fresh out of flights school.

The situation is expected to get worse as aviation in India and China continues to grow.

The Indonesian airline, Garuda, most recently known for two fatal crashes this year, has had a large number of its pilots leave for better paying jobs. The airline has hired a large number of recent graduates to replace them. It was one such graduate who flew as co-pilot on March 7th when the Gardua flight landed too fast, flew off the runway and burst into flames.

And Garuda isn’t the only airline with these problems. Brussels Airlines, the largest carrier in Belgium, said that it is losing an average of 10 captains every month to airlines in the Gulf. They are begging the government to regulate the situation.

In America, the shortage of pilots has led to flight cancellations for some airlines. Northwest cancelled 12 per cent of its flight in one week in June because it lacked pilots.

High school grads: if you’re looking for a job, this may be it.

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