Originally Posted by scottm

A minor pilot shortage will be a boon for the major airlines. The Low Cost Carriers have been a constant drag on ticket prices for decades. If the major airlines can slow them down by hiring their pilots away (at food-stamp wages), the majors can start raising ticket prices again. The majors still own and sell tickets on regional routes, it will be easy for them to take over the most profitable routes with planes they were scheduled to retire, and new pilots poached from the regionals. It would be a self-driven cycle.

The major airlines need a pilot crisis to get rid of the remaining rules on pilot experience, fatigue, maximum hours, minimum breaks, etc. Remember the sequester FAA controller "crisis", and how quickly congress changed laws to fix it? The airlines and their lobbyists will make sure the press reports on airlines shutting down and markets losing their air service. They need a lifeline.

Who thinks there will be a pilot shortage?

- Roger Cohen, President of the Regional Airline Association: Loath to Project Trends, Cohen Breaks with Form on Pilot Shortage | Aviation International News
Regional Airline Association chief warns of pilot shortage - Wichita Business Journal
Dearth of pilots raising worries

- Chuck Howell, CEO of Great Lakes Airlines: Real-Time News for Wyoming Communities

- The FAA: Activities, Courses, Seminars & Webinars - Event Details and Registration - FAA - FAASTeam - FAASafety.gov

- The University of North Dakota: Pilot Career Is Losing Its Appeal, Shows Survey | Aviation International News

- MIT: http://dspace.mit.edu/bitstream/hand...pdf?sequence=1

- Air Transport World: Looming pilot shortage major concern for US regional airlines | Labor content from ATWOnline

- Aviation Accreditation Board International: http://www.aabi.aero/AirlinePilotLaborSupply1.pdf
http://www.aabi.aero/News&Calendar/P...20position.pdf

- The National Business Aviation Association: Faced With Workforce Shortages, Industry Must Attract New Talent | Personnel Considerations | NBAA - National Business Aviation Association

- The travel and tourism industry: Aruba Rentals Experts Explain Impact of Pilot Shortage | Aruba villas

- Jones Day: Jones Day | Pending Deadline for Airline Transport Pilot Certificates May Place U.S. Carriers in a Lurch

- Performance Pilot: The Airline Pilot Shortage in the U.S. to Effect Smaller Markets Most | Performance Pilot

- The U.S. Air Force: http://www.fighterpilotuniversity.co...-fighter-pilot

- Republic Airlines: The Durango Herald 02/04/2013 | Carrier’s staff shortage triggers delays--

- Delta and United Airlines (bottom of article):
New terminal kicks off renovations at Skyhaven | digitalBURG


- Chicago Tribune: Chicago Tribune

- Aviation Week: Who's Up Front?

- Travel Weekly: Things that should change in 2013 - Travel Weekly


etc, etc, etc. There was a good Wall Street Journal article a while back, somewhere in my files.

So, this is going to happen, is already happening in many parts of the world and a few sectors in the U.S. The airlines have been using it to raise the retirement age, to water down rules, to make more money. They are well prepared to keep you and I from making a dime more or working an hour less in our lives. What can we do? Not much. I'm not a fan of unions, and in this industry they've been effectively neutered. Wildcat action or wait for the next string of fatal accidents, and hope none involve you or your loved ones, or your airline.