Aircraft manufacturer Boeing believes that 500,000 new pilots will be needed over the course of the coming 20 years if international travel demand is to be met.
Boeing says nearly 27,000 newly qualified pilots will be required each year until 2033 to fly the growing number of passenger jets.
Boeing’s prediction for new pilots is 7% up on what it predicted last year. It now expects that 36,770 new jet plans, worth a total of £3 trillion, will be delivered over the next two decades, doubling the commercial fleet to 42,000.
But the British Airline Pilots’ Association has urged caution as it said there is no impending shortage of pilots in the UK. It said that it has 200 qualified pilots who cannot find work.
Moreover, it said it costs £60,000 and takes 18 months to earn an Air Transport Pilot Licence. Pilots then need to pay up to £25,000 for a Type Rating to qualify for certain types of aircraft.
Boeing believes greatest demand will emanate from South-East Asia’s rising rich.
According to Boeing, the Asia-Pacific region will require 216,000 pilots over the period; Europe will need 94,000; North America 88,000; Latin America 45,000; the Middle East 55,000; Africa 17,000; and Russia and the CIS 18,000.
Balpa said that while major national airlines can pay starting salaries of £50,000, rising to more than £100,000 after 20 years’ service, pay with smaller airlines can be less than half this. Many pilots struggle
