Hundreds Thousand New Pilots Needed

Hundreds Thousand New Pilots Needed

Hundreds Thousand New Pilots Needed. Ryanair's Michael O'Leary said he has never heard of a global shortage of pilots, but according to the latest Boeing report, the industry needs more than 600,000 pilots to meet "extraordinary" demands over the next 20 years.

"There is a shortage of pilots," he said, "and I have never encountered a world-wide shortage of pilots." We have 4,200 pilots, we have operated all summer time, June, July and August, which is ours most active period of the year, "O'Leary said Monday.

The Boeing report, the Pilot and Technician Outlook 2017-2036, released this summer indicates that there will be a global shortage.

"As global economies expand and airlines receive tens of thousands of new commercial aircraft over the next 20 years, there is an extraordinary demand for people to fly and maintain these planes," he says.

"Between now and 2036, the aviation industry will have to supply more than 2 million new commercial airline pilots, maintenance technicians and cabin crew."

This figure is divided into 637,000 pilots, 648,000 maintenance technicians and 839,000 cabin crew members.

Boeing figures are 3.6% higher than forecasts a year ago.

The Airbus 2017 global forecast predicts that some 534,000 new pilots will be needed by 2036, with this level of personnel flying passenger aircraft of 100 seats or more.

Several regional airlines in the United States, including Horizon Air and Republic Airways, had to cancel flights over the last number of years due to a shortage of pilots.

O'Leary was convinced that his airline's actions on cancellation of flights was caused by over-scheduling pilots, not a shortage of them.

Ryanair's analysis of the situation published by the Irish Airline Pilots Association yesterday referred to the pilot shortage: "Ryanair (is) saying that the problem will last about six weeks.This conveniently takes them to winter time with its overall crew requirement reduced, which is further proof that the real problem is the shortage of flight crew. "