Flight levels

What ifs

The quandaries facing young would-be pilots

It would seem that the pilot shortage is truly beginning to bite. The projected number of pilots that will be required over the coming decades is daunting and the industry appears to be in a state of catch-up as if the situation appeared instantly out of the ether. Speaking with small operators, their issues with retention of pilots has escalated to sourcing qualified candidates in the first place. Meanwhile, airlines are either sprouting or ramping up their cadet schemes.

Aviation has always been cyclic – an industry of peaks and troughs. Looming pilot shortages are nothing new but this time around it has arrived and on a rather grand scale. In an industry where demand has traditionally been the primary dictator, supply is now the critical element and it’s a situation that not many people are familiar with.