From passport delays to flight delays and cancellations, traveling is proving to have its difficulties. This may only increase as Travel Noire reports that the U.S. airline industry is slated to encounter a wave of pilot retirements.
This situation will add to the nation’s current pilot shortage, which will result in limited flight availability for passengers and add pressure to flight prices. Over half of today’s working pilots will turn 65 – the mandatory retirement age – within the next 15 years. Younger pilots are not accounting for those who are aging out, noted an aviation group during a congressional hearing on April 19.
President and CEO of the Regional Airline Association, Faye Malarkey Black, says that airlines in 42 states have less service now than compared to before the pandemic. Black also notes that 136 airports lost at least one quarter of their service, while over 500 planes from regional airports do not have enough pilots to fly them. Black told CNN that this “severe and ongoing pilot shortage” spans across the U.S.
Travel Noire states that despite a record level of books for many airlines, service cuts made during the pandemic still have yet to be restored fully. Black maintains that insufficient pay and quality of life conditions are causes of under-staffed airlines.
The RAA represents regional airlines carriers that provide service for larger airlines including American, United and Delta. Larger airlines are experiencing pilot shortages, as well, but they have been hiring them away from regional carriers. Black notes that this is an even more egregious problem for the passengers and cities that depend on these regional airlines.
Travel Noire describes the process for training pilots and how it is impacting the shortage. According to Black, larger airlines hired over 13,000 pilots in 2022, majority of which are from smaller carriers represented by the RAA. Despite more pilots obtaining their licenses last year compared to years prior, 9,500 new entrants weren’t enough to keep up with the current demand.
Cost of training a new pilot can cost $80,000 and can total up to $200,000 when paired with a bachelor’s degree. Black said that poorer students may not get the chance to be pilots due to insufficient federal financial aid.
“Unlike other career paths that require additional professional credentialing, such as doctors and lawyers, accredited pilot training programs can’t access additional lending available through graduate aid programs to cover the higher costs,” Black said.
Although business and charter airlines are hiring, according to Black, President of the Air Line Pilots Association, Jason Ambrosi told the House Transportation subcommittee that airlines aren’t paying enough. He also said that increasing the mandatory retirement age from 65 to 67 will make it difficult for airlines to make long-term plans. Pilots over 65 are legally not allowed to fly on international routes.
Diversity was also a topic during the hearing, as there is a lack of pilots of different races and genders. Pilots are mostly white and male. Focusing on diversity may help address shortages.
“There was a widely acknowledged shortage of pilots even before the pandemic, but many airlines offered buyouts and early retirement packages to trim costs during the pandemic,” Ambrosi said.
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