The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) reports that, according to the Future and Active Pilot Advisors (FAPA), 2022 is on track for a record year for airline pilot hiring. Through October, 12 major airlines had hired 11,372 pilots. Projections call for a total of some 13,500 new hires by the end of the year, more than twice the number hired in 2021 (5,426), the previous record-holder.
The article mentions the projected demand, but is silent on where they will come from. Plus, I suspect that their numbers are only for commercial airline and charter company demand and does not include any for general aviation.
When I was 17 I attended Spartan School of Aeronautics and got an A&P Certificate. The airlines would not hire me because I had no experience. So I became a corporate Pilot. Mechanics are short changed in this bisuness. Better to switch to automobile repair.
I saw that but my point is there is nothing about what the industry is doing to attract new maintenance technicians its always about Pilots, pilots, pilots…the 600,000 plus maintenance hires sure sound good but the reality is there is less than 10 percent of that number industry wide coming in as new hires. That’s the elephant in the room.
When I go to the IA renewal seminars each year, 80% of us IA’s are over the age of 50 and there is 20% of us retiring annually, less than 5% coming in…that’s my point.