Severe Pilot Shortage to Hit Asia-Pacific Air Travel
The Asia Pacific region will have trouble meeting the demand for several hundred thousand new commercial airline pilots and technicians over the next two decades, forecast Boeing Monday.
A demand for 182,300 new pilots and 247,400 new technicians in the Asia Pacific region through 2030 is seen by the 2011 Boeing Pilot & Technician Outlook. The entire region has a total of only 60,000 pilots and 46,000 technicians currently.
China alone will need 72,700 pilots and 108,300 technicians during that period. Northeast Asia will need 20,800 pilots and 30,200 technicians. Southeast Asia will need 47,100 pilots and 60,600 technicians. Oceania — which includes Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, New Guinea, Indonesia and other Pacific islands — will need 13,600 pilots and 15,600 technicians. Southwest Asia will need 28,100 pilots and 32,700 technicians.
“In Asia we’re already beginning to see some delays and operational disruptions due to a shortage of pilots,” said Roei Ganzarski, chief customer officer, Boeing Flight Services. “To ensure the success of our industry as travel demands grows, it is critical that we continue to foster a talent pipeline of capable and well-trained aviation personnel.”
“We are competing for talent with alluring hi-tech companies and we need to do a better job showcasing our industry as a global, technological, multi-faceted environment where individuals from all backgrounds and disciplines can make a significant impact,” he added.
At the moment industry experts say the region doesn’t have pipelines that can produce this number of pilots and technicians over the next two decades.
Despite the looming shortage in Asia, in recent years the U.S. has recently seen a glut of pilots due to layoffs as the air travel industry struggled in the wake the 2008 financial crisis. Consequently, starting salaries of new commercial airline pilots plunged to as little as $21,600 a year as of late 2009. The highest salaries among U.S. passenger airlines is paid by Southwest. Its first-year pilots earn around $50,000 while its most seasoned captains earn $181,000, even more if they work extra flights up to a total of 1,000 hours year.
Delta, American, United and Continental pay captains a top minimum of between $156,000 and $167,000 per year.
UPS and FedEx pay even better — a minimum of $200,000 a year for the highest grade of pilots.