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Pilot shortage hits Nigeria, US airlines

• Flyers seek higher pay
• Carriers shun local pilots for expats
• Carriers shun local pilots for expats

Nigeria and the United States are hit by pilot shortage, a situation that has taken a toll on the sectors in both nations. Heavily hit in the US are midsized and regional airlines.
Equally affected are smaller airports such as in Redding, California, or Erie, Pennsylvania, according to figures from the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA). For Nigeria, aviation industry is, again, experiencing pilots’ glut.
There are about 500 unemployed professional pilots in the system today.
The number of seasoned/ experienced pilots who are jobless stands at about 100, while about 400 are fresh newly licensed commercial pilots just out of flying schools.
With less than 300 flying hours and no jet experience, a very few airlines are attracted to freshly licensed pilots. Consequently, Nigerian carriers now employ pilots and engineers from other nationals who dominate the cockpits of many aircraft.
Fewer pilots are willing to commit hundreds of thousands of dollars into their training and education for a career with such a limited return on investment in what has historically been a very unstable industry.
Steps taken by some regional carriers include boosting compensation, such as offering a bonus to qualified pilots of $80,000 spread out over four years.
Companies are also granting bonuses of $500, $1,000 or $1,500 for pilot referrals. “An airline that wants to be able to recruit new pilots and to retain its current pilots needs to offer reasonable compensation, fair work life balance and some career path with stability,” said a pilot who preferred anonymity.
The staffing crunch in the US, however, could also constrain traffic for larger companies such as United Airlines and Delta Air Lines that depend on the mid-sized companies to serve rural consumers and feed customers into their networks.
“It’s becoming a crisis at some carriers, resulting in the cancellation of flights and other serious disruptions,” said Patrick Smith, a pilot who runs “Ask the Pilot,” an aviation blog.
Republic Airways, which operates flights for Delta, United and American Airlines, filed for bankruptcy protection last month, citing the labour crunch.
Aviation industry insiders cite many factors for the drop-off in pilots: longer working hours, contentious relations with management, fewer job protections and industry turnover with the expected retirement of some 18,000 pilots through 2022.
Regional carriers pay pilots an average of $27,350 per year, according to Paul Ryder, a captain at ExpressJet Airlines, who is active with the ALPA.
That compares with an annual salary of $103,390 at large airlines, according to US Labour Department data. Aspiring pilots must pay between $150,000 and $200,000 to obtain their license, Ryder said.
Three years ago, US regulators stiffened the requirements on pilots following a 2009 Colgan Air crash near Buffalo, New York, that killed 49 people.
There are about 500 unemployed professional pilots in the system today.
The number of seasoned/ experienced pilots who are jobless stands at about 100, while about 400 are fresh newly licensed commercial pilots just out of flying schools.
With less than 300 flying hours and no jet experience, a very few airlines are attracted to freshly licensed pilots. Consequently, Nigerian carriers now employ pilots and engineers from other nationals who dominate the cockpits of many aircraft.
Fewer pilots are willing to commit hundreds of thousands of dollars into their training and education for a career with such a limited return on investment in what has historically been a very unstable industry.
Steps taken by some regional carriers include boosting compensation, such as offering a bonus to qualified pilots of $80,000 spread out over four years.
Companies are also granting bonuses of $500, $1,000 or $1,500 for pilot referrals. “An airline that wants to be able to recruit new pilots and to retain its current pilots needs to offer reasonable compensation, fair work life balance and some career path with stability,” said a pilot who preferred anonymity.
The staffing crunch in the US, however, could also constrain traffic for larger companies such as United Airlines and Delta Air Lines that depend on the mid-sized companies to serve rural consumers and feed customers into their networks.
“It’s becoming a crisis at some carriers, resulting in the cancellation of flights and other serious disruptions,” said Patrick Smith, a pilot who runs “Ask the Pilot,” an aviation blog.
Republic Airways, which operates flights for Delta, United and American Airlines, filed for bankruptcy protection last month, citing the labour crunch.
Aviation industry insiders cite many factors for the drop-off in pilots: longer working hours, contentious relations with management, fewer job protections and industry turnover with the expected retirement of some 18,000 pilots through 2022.
Regional carriers pay pilots an average of $27,350 per year, according to Paul Ryder, a captain at ExpressJet Airlines, who is active with the ALPA.
That compares with an annual salary of $103,390 at large airlines, according to US Labour Department data. Aspiring pilots must pay between $150,000 and $200,000 to obtain their license, Ryder said.
Three years ago, US regulators stiffened the requirements on pilots following a 2009 Colgan Air crash near Buffalo, New York, that killed 49 people.