Japan needs more pilots
As record tourists flock to Japan for its world-renowned hospitality, exceptional sushi and ancient shrines, the country’s airlines are facing a severe shortage of pilots. And finding them won’t be easy. Japan currently has about 7,100 pilots and the government projects another 1,000 will be needed by 2030 to help meet its target of attracting some 60m tourists that same year. In an acknowledgment that may mean looking outside for talent, measures being considered by a panel set up by the transport ministry earlier this year include converting foreign pilots’ licenses to Japanese ones at a faster and cheaper rate. But there are several reasons why hiring pilots from overseas isn’t proving easy. There’s opposition from local unions and carriers in Japan typically pay less than airlines elsewhere. Compounding the shortage, many airline captains, currently aged in their 50s, are set to retire by around 2030, according to the ministry. “Major airlines will have to revise their internal operational processes to accommodate non-Japanese speaking pilots,” said Nobuhito Abe, a partner and the Asia Pacific lead of aerospace and industrials at Kearney. Japanese carriers still have “very domestic internal processes”. On average, captains at Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways receive annual salaries of around ¥25mil (RM747,450), an industry source said. A pilot with 12 years flying experience at Delta Air Lines in the United States meanwhile can expect to get about US$453,000 (RM1.98mil) while someone flying for American Airlines would be in line for about US$480,000 (RM2.1mil), the source said. An influx of foreign pilots would likely also rankle local staff, inciting fears of inferior treatment or being passed over for promotions. Like many professions in Japan, Japanese pilots often see their job as one for life. Historically, the bulk of pilots coming up through the system in Japan are either hired as fresh recruits by ANA or JAL, or graduate from the government-funded Civil Aviation College, which takes in around 100 students each year. Representatives from All Nippon Airways Crew Association and JAL Flight Crew Union didn’t respond to requests for comment.<br/>
https://portal.staralliance.com/cms/news/hot-topics/2024-09-10/star/japan-needs-more-pilots
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Japan needs more pilots
As record tourists flock to Japan for its world-renowned hospitality, exceptional sushi and ancient shrines, the country’s airlines are facing a severe shortage of pilots. And finding them won’t be easy. Japan currently has about 7,100 pilots and the government projects another 1,000 will be needed by 2030 to help meet its target of attracting some 60m tourists that same year. In an acknowledgment that may mean looking outside for talent, measures being considered by a panel set up by the transport ministry earlier this year include converting foreign pilots’ licenses to Japanese ones at a faster and cheaper rate. But there are several reasons why hiring pilots from overseas isn’t proving easy. There’s opposition from local unions and carriers in Japan typically pay less than airlines elsewhere. Compounding the shortage, many airline captains, currently aged in their 50s, are set to retire by around 2030, according to the ministry. “Major airlines will have to revise their internal operational processes to accommodate non-Japanese speaking pilots,” said Nobuhito Abe, a partner and the Asia Pacific lead of aerospace and industrials at Kearney. Japanese carriers still have “very domestic internal processes”. On average, captains at Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways receive annual salaries of around ¥25mil (RM747,450), an industry source said. A pilot with 12 years flying experience at Delta Air Lines in the United States meanwhile can expect to get about US$453,000 (RM1.98mil) while someone flying for American Airlines would be in line for about US$480,000 (RM2.1mil), the source said. An influx of foreign pilots would likely also rankle local staff, inciting fears of inferior treatment or being passed over for promotions. Like many professions in Japan, Japanese pilots often see their job as one for life. Historically, the bulk of pilots coming up through the system in Japan are either hired as fresh recruits by ANA or JAL, or graduate from the government-funded Civil Aviation College, which takes in around 100 students each year. Representatives from All Nippon Airways Crew Association and JAL Flight Crew Union didn’t respond to requests for comment.<br/>
