Opposite Boeing predicts a global need for more than 23,000 pilots annually over the next 20 years. Image credit: Boeing Training & Flight Services.
Third Party Trainers Optimistic About The Future Chuck Weirauch reviews the third party aviation training segment of the industry, which hopes to benefit from recent “good news” developments.
Pilot Shortage? With the Boeing reports predicting that the world airline fleet will almost double over the next 20 years and a need for more than 23,000 pilots annually during that timeframe, the next logical question to ask is how the airlines and third party trainers are going to meet this challenge. Carbary feels that the industry will see a pilot shortage start to emerge over the next two years, particularly in regions that traditionally do not have a natural pipeline of pilots, such as the military, and also do not have the mature infrastructure and development. Clarke feels that a pilot shortage is
“a distinct possibility” in nine months to a year because of the continually rising costs of pilot training and the dwindling number of people who will be able to afford it. Coupled to this problem is the significant number of pilots that will be needed over the next 20 years, he pointed out. With such growth, the issue of pilot shortage will soon be back, van Engelen agreed.
Outsourcing As many airlines re-evaluate their business plans in light of the economic environment of the past two years, several have moved to outsource pilot training,
with others considering plans to do so. According to the third party training sources polled, this trend is expected to continue in the future, especially for new airline startups and low-cost carriers (LCCs). Obviously an increasing trend towards more outsourcing of pilot training by airlines will be a boon to the third party training industry. “With the startups, they typically would outsource their training, as they do not have an infrastructure to support their initial training,” van Engelen said. ‘We have worked with some to help design their training centers, for example. With airlines that are already mature,
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CAT MAGAZINE • ISSUE 4/2010
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