Pilot Shortage: It's Baaaaaaack...
 

At least according to the media.

https://us.cnn.com/2021/03/02/perspe...mic/index.html

The authors are consultants, one of which was an ACA pilot in the early 00s.

I think there's a case actually, at least overseas.

I forgot that I put CNN on my blocked list of websites.

It forecasts a mild shortage, worldwide, by 2023. Maybe. Or more likely, in my opinion, a balance.

If forecasts a significant shortage, worldwide, by 2025. I can believe that.

I've been looking at it in the last month. It's no longer all Trump, all the time. Took a four year break prior to that.

I was expectingto see Kit Darby’s name on that.

Why do you think? At least Europe has had a flood of BS airlines flying BS routes for BS prices. They are hit the hardest because of the shear amount of frivolous leisure-ULCC’s sitting idle. You think they will be short of pilots??

While I think they make some good points, one of the things they said didn't make sense. Perhaps I misread it, but my understanding of a furloughed pilot is that they get to retain their seniority when they return to duty. It felt like this article was saying just the opposite.

Regardless of that, I think if this summer turns out to be strong, we could certainly be facing some issues again. As the article said, "pilot engagement' is the ticket. If management would help us, we will help them. Give young pilots a valuable and useful flow formula so they have a meaningful chance of recouping the high costs of becoming a civil aviator.

If the airlines manage to do this, I think they can mitigate many of the issues this article talks about. More importantly, if the big 3 dont start finding ways to incentivize their regional pilots, they will quickly find them being scooped up by the others, much like is starting to happen with Frontier and Spirit.

Newsflash. American Airlines has been doing this already. For YEARS. The flow program implemented post BK hires a candidate on DAY ONE as an American Airlines pilot.