Although the major airlines may be reluctant to admit it, there is a shortage of qualified pilots in the USA. And many observers believe the situation will only get worse. Hardest hit are regional carriers, which are experiencing a higher than average turnover rate as pilots move up the ladder to larger airlines. The huge demand is forcing training schools to expand by adding simulators and staff, and legislators in the USA are pushing to increase the mandatory retirement age from 60 to 65.
US Senator Frank Murkowski says the airline industry is facing a "critical shortage of pilots". He maintains that the number of certified pilots in the USA has dropped by 80 to a total of 616,342. "It is my hope that the shortage of pilots has hit rock bottom," Murkowski says. "But even so, it will take years before a cadre of qualified and experienced pilots is ready to take to the skies."
While the real struggles are at the regional carrier level, with regional jet pilots leaving for the majors, some of the major carriers also are having to adapt their requirements to fulfill their needs. Southwest Airlines claims it is getting enough applicants - about 300 pilot jobs need to be filled every year - but has opened up its pilot job interviews on a continuous basis instead of only twice a year. In the past, it would not accept any applicant who was not certified to flying a Boeing 737. New pilots who are interviewed and accepted are given six months to earn certification before officially becoming a Southwest employee.
Even with contention by most major carriers that there are enough pilots in the marketplace, a consulting firm that tracks availability and placement of pilots says the supply is tight. "There is no shortage of pilots," says Kit Darby, president of AIR, Inc. of Atlanta, "but there is a shortage of qualified and experienced pilots." United Airlines, for example, would like to hire 2,000 pilots, but is only able to find 1,380, Darby says.
The 14 major airlines employ about two-thirds of the country's 89,896 pilots, according to AIR, Inc.'s estimates, and the total demand for new pilots is expected to reach an additional 70,000 by 2005.
Regional conundrum
Hardest hit by the demand are small and regional carriers, which are rapidly becoming the new pilot source for the bigger carriers. Traditionally, pilots coming out of the military have been the main source of well-trained personnel, but now that number is also dwindling as the Air Force, Army and Navy struggle to find enough pilots themselves.
Many of these carriers are forced to go to continuous hiring because they are experiencing higher turnover rates, says Debby McElroy, president of the Regional Airlines Association (RAA). "Some of our carriers have had to cancel flights because they are unable to staff them," she says.
Dick Fontaine, senior vice president of marketing for Great Lakes Aviation, says that even with 40 new pilots being hired every month, it has been "difficult to stay even" because the Midwest carrier is experiencing a 60% turnover rate. The regional airline has 350 pilots but every time one leaves to go to work for a bigger airline, it is at least a 45-day process to upgrade his replacement and then getting him out on the line, according to Fontaine. When a pilot leaves, it "triggers a number of events" that involve additional training for two or three other people, Fontaine says. "It's not that there is a shortage of applications," he explains, "but there is just only so many simulator slots and only so many seats. "We have reduced the frequency of our flights to some markets," Fontaine says, "but we have not really had to ground any of our aircraft."
Darby agrees, stating: "Some of the small and medium companies are getting killed. I know one regional airline that lost 55 pilots in 50 days."
To ensure they get enough pilots, both regionals and majors are making some concessions. Most have dropped the requirement that all applicants have a four-year degree. American Eagle lowered its minimum pilot flying time from 1,500 hours to 1,000 hours. "There is no question the standard for flying time is down dramatically," says Paul Hinton, managing director of flight training operations for Flightsafety Boeing Training International in Seattle.
Hinton also points out that the once stringent battery of tests such as electro cardiograms have also been done away with as part of the regular physical checkup. United Airlines, for instance, has changed its eyesight standard for pilots from an uncorrected 20/100 vision to a corrected 20/20.
Raising the age limit
Perhaps the most controversial issue now being debated is raising the retirement age. There are now 44 countries, including Japan, Germany and the UK, that have relaxed the mandatory age 60 retirement. Senator Murkowski is pushing legislation to lift the limit to age 65. Hearings held in Congress earlier this year have generated controversy, with the industry itself sharply divided over the issue. Even the RAA was forced to take a neutral stand because so many of their members are divided on the issue.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the Air Line Pilots Association staunchly oppose making any changes, contending that it is a question of safety. The age of 60 was chosen 40 years ago as the benchmark for a pilot to stop flying. "As people age, there is frequently a progressive deterioration of a variety of physiological functions, including cardiovascular, cognitive, vision, hearing and an increase in the risks of various incapacitating diseases," the FAA states. "The FAA based its decision on the lack of scientific consensus on whether there is a basis for changing the age 60 limit. Without scientific agreement, that age limit cannot be changed."
Murkowski said the most recent study done in 1993 showed there was no correlation between age and accident rate as pilots approach 60. "As long as a pilot can pass the rigorous medical exam, he or she should be allowed to fly," he says.
Recently, 69 current or retired airline captains formally petitioned the FAA to relax the stipulation, arguing that advances in medicine and testing have made the rationale for the age 60 limitation "obsolete". They contended that FAA has certified pilots under 60 who have serious cardiovascular, neurological and psychiatric disorders. At the same time, they argue the FAA maintains that pilots with these health problems should not be approved. "The FAA has blindly adhered to the Age 60 rule, has deliberately disregarded the application of medical advancements which would allow relief from the rule and has violated its oft-stated commitment and statutory obligation to pursue alternatives to the rule," the petition states.
It remains to be seen which way Congress will go on the controversial issue. Head of the subcommittee for aviation Senator John McCain at once opens the door for possible change, saying "We must remain open minded about proposals to change the Age 60 Rule. They have the potential to ease the shortage of civilian pilots and reduce the pressure for military pilots to leave the service early." But in the same breath he continues with "However, we are dealing with a rule that has been in effect for many years. Any modifications should not come at the expense of safety."
| US airline pilot hiring history | ||||||||
| Pilots hired | ||||||||
| Type | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | Jan-Jul 2000 |
| Majors | 463 | 1,266 | 2,377 | 3,080 | 3,854 | 3,646 | 5,000 | 2,949 |
| Nationals | 814 | 1,837 | 2,508 | 2,773 | 3,194 | 4,698 | 5,188 | 3,695 |
| Jet Operators | 1,725 | 2,015 | 1,735 | 2,305 | 1,946 | 2,573 | 1,879 | 1,673 |
| Non-jets | 1,913 | 2,566 | 1,745 | 1,825 | 1,762 | 2,256 | 2,507 | 1,657 |
| Trainers | 272 | 72 | 373 | 366 | 732 | 128 | 193 | 49 |
| Start-ups | N/a | 288 | 76 | 276 | 928 | 477 | 143 | 0 |
| TOTAL | 5,187 | 8,044 | 8,814 | 10,625 | 12,416 | 13,778 | 14,910 | 10,023 |
| Source: AIR, Inc. | ||||||||
Pursuing new solutions
The demand for more pilots has also meant that airlines have had to increase their training capacity. Comair says it is working to upgrade its number of regional jet simulators from the one it currently has to five. Fellow Delta-affiliate Atlantic Southeast Airlines (ASA) - which for the first time is factoring in likely mainline demand for pilots when determining its own recruitment goals - is also upgrading its staffing efforts.
Last spring,15% of ASA's pilots were simultaneously in training - and therefore unable to fly. The pilots were training because they were either new hires or were replacing personnel who had gone to Delta. In response, ASA now is recruiting more aggressively and upgrading its training facilities to make them operational 24 hours per day.
Source: Airline Business