Should I stay or should I go?

The ex-pat career vs a pilot career in Australia

While we in Australia dig around at the grass roots inspiring more pilots to enter the industry, what – if anything – is being done to retain the experienced pilots we have? With attractive remuneration and lifestyle packages on offer from the likes of Emirates, Etihad, Qatar, Air Hong Kong, ANA and Korean Air, to name a few, I wanted to delve into why, apart from the pay-packet, pilots decide to leap into the unknown and relocate their entire lives and livelihoods overseas. Why they leave behind their long-held career goals to fly for the top three in our region: Qantas, Virgin and Air New Zealand.

I spoke with pilots who have carved out successful careers with Middle East-based carriers about why they went, why they stay, and if returning to Australia features in their plans at all.