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It's well known that there's a global commercial pilot shortage, likely due to the cost of becoming a pilot, as well as the lackluster starting salaries. I've heard that airlines are making pushes to acquire new pilots, as well as retain current ones, but what steps are they taking to accomplish this?

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  • $\begingroup$ Take a look at what Lufthansa does for pilot training, a similar program is offered by a number of different airlines... $\endgroup$ – Ron Beyer Nov 5 '18 at 18:47
  • $\begingroup$ It's not the cost. Learning to fly has always been an expensive pastime (a new C-172 was the price of a nice house in the 60s) and the difficulty in getting a career started was WAY worse 30 years ago. The main factor is demographics. The baby boom wave is hitting retirement age and the pool of potential new pilots is getting smaller and smaller. $\endgroup$ – John K Nov 5 '18 at 19:42
  • $\begingroup$ @JohnK Learning to fly has always been an expensive pastime, but recently it has become more expensive. The FAA has increased hours requirements, flight requirements, and criteria for credible hours. The aircraft have also gotten more expensive to fly. Plus, new 172's are still the cost of a nice house today (well above the median home price in US). $\endgroup$ – M28 Nov 5 '18 at 19:48
  • $\begingroup$ Well yes what you are talking about is the Colgan rule, which was a fiasco but that only affects the US and its effect is to keep new pilots with the 3rd tier carriers longer until they get to 1500 hrs. It had a negative effect on Regional airline recruiting in the US. Most other western countries also have a shortage, and it's mostly related to the demographic wave I mentioned. $\endgroup$ – John K Nov 5 '18 at 19:55
  • $\begingroup$ @JohnK Quite a lot of articles and studies would disagree with you. The demographic issue does effect it, but to say that cost is not a factor is unequivocally false. $\endgroup$ – M28 Nov 5 '18 at 20:04

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