More than half of world's airline pilots no longer flying - survey

More than half of the world’s airline pilots are no longer flying for a living amid the plunge in demand during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new survey, and those that are still flying feel less valued by their employers. A poll of nearly 2,600 pilots by UK-based GOOSE Recruitment and industry publication FlightGlobal, released on Thursday, found only 43% were doing the job they had trained for, with 30% unemployed, 17% furloughed and 10% in non-flying roles. Many pilots that are still flying have faced deteriorating working conditions. Cathay Pacific, for example, instituted permanent pay cuts of up to 58%, and Turkish Airways and Singapore Airlines have temporarily lowered salaries. “We can see the effect the pandemic has had on employed pilots too,” GOOSE Recruitment CEO Mark Charman said. “Large numbers are feeling insecure about their jobs, an increased number are planning to look for new roles this year as well as many feeling less valued by their employers.” For the unemployed pilots in the survey, 84% said it was due to the pandemic. Before COVID-19 hit, there had been widespread pilot shortages that had driven up demand for aviators and led to improving pay and conditions. Now, 82% of unemployed pilots would take a pay cut for a new opportunity, the survey found.<br/>