The US is Facing a Serious Shortage of Airline Pilots (cnn.com)

An anonymous reader shares a report: The national security of the United States relies on a healthy airline industry. That requires modern reliable airplanes -- and highly skilled pilots to operate them. However, the United States has a shortage of pilots right now, particularly at the regional airline levels. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, there were about 827,000 pilots in America in 1987. Over the past three decades, that number has decreased by 30%. Meanwhile, during this period, there has been a tremendous increase in the demand for air travel. The International Air Transport Association predicts that, over the next 20 years, air travel will double.

This is a classic case of low supply and high demand. This mismatch has created a perfect storm that could wreak havoc on the US airline industry over the next decade. The somber news is this shortage is going to get much worse. I have not only studied and researched the airline industry since 1978, but I also was a pilot for 19 years, before going back to academia in 2006.

In the 1970s, when most of today's airline pilots like myself were growing up, piloting for an airline was considered a prestigious career. The job offered not only high salaries and nice schedules with many days off, but also a respected position in society. In the early 1990s, pilot salaries approached $300,000 in today's dollars for some international pilots. What's more, during this time, the military had a steady and consistent demand for pilots. A young aspiring aviator could go into the military to receive all of his or her flight training. Once these pilots had fulfilled their military commitment, they were almost guaranteed a good job flying for a major airline. Today, this is no longer the case. The career of the airline pilot has lost its luster.

Comments

Here's a thought:

[XXongo]

Here's a thought: they could try paying pilots decently, and giving them reasonable work schedules.

I know, that's crazy talk.

Re:Here's a thought:

[brxndxn]

$50-60k/year is garbage for a skilled technical field that requires travel 100% of the time. Pay the pilots more and the shortage will go away. Also, the airlines should start paying for training programs if they really want pilots - just like other industries need to train operators for manufacturing plants, IT staff, or maintenance workers.

Re:Here's a thought:

[michelcolman]

Those 80 hours a month are flight time. That doesn’t take into account the time preparing the flight, the time on the ground between flights, and the time finishing up after the last flight. That brings you pretty close to the amount of time “ordinary folks” work, and then that doesn’t even take the crazy schedules into account. Early shifts, late shifts, weekends equivalent to weekdays,...