UK: Shortage of trained pilots could keep jets on the ground
By September, Chris Audlin will be a step closer to the job of his dreams. For four years, the 25-year-old has been training to become a pilot while working full-time as a police officer to help pay for his studies.<br/>His ambition has come with significant sacrifices. His parents remortgaged their home to help fund Mr Audlin’s £70,000 preparation for his career — but when he qualifies this year there is no guarantee that he will have a job. Welcome to the world of becoming a pilot. “It’s all I’ve wanted to do since I was about 11 but it’s not without its challenges,” says Audlin, who asked the Financial Times not to use his real name in case it hurts his job prospects. “You’ve got the stress of pilot training, which is incredibly intense, coupled with financial stress.” It is a critical moment for the airline industry. Boeing, the aircraft manufacturer, has warned that 558,000 commercial pilots will be needed globally by 2034 to meet a surge in demand for air travel. That equates to 28,000 extra jobs a year. The cost of training is substantial: it can exceed GBP100,000 for those who undertake a full-time 18-month course. Many, like Audlin, opt to study part-time to reduce the cost by tens of thousands of pounds. Some experts have said that airlines will struggle to meet the shortfall if more is not done to support new pilots financially. “The industry needs to get its act together,” says Jim McAuslan, general secretary of the British Airline Pilots Association. “Everyone is outsourcing the responsibility to the individual who has a dream of being a pilot, but if there’s not enough investment by airlines and by the government, then we are not going to have enough pilots to fly UK plc in the future.” The problem has been accentuated by a change in the way pilot training is funded. Twenty years ago, airlines mostly paid for training, or pilots would join from the military. However, as cuts have been made across an industry that often struggles to be profitable, the financial burden has gradually shifted to the trainee, and most have to cover the cost with bank or family loans.<br/>
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UK: Shortage of trained pilots could keep jets on the ground
By September, Chris Audlin will be a step closer to the job of his dreams. For four years, the 25-year-old has been training to become a pilot while working full-time as a police officer to help pay for his studies.<br/>His ambition has come with significant sacrifices. His parents remortgaged their home to help fund Mr Audlin’s £70,000 preparation for his career — but when he qualifies this year there is no guarantee that he will have a job. Welcome to the world of becoming a pilot. “It’s all I’ve wanted to do since I was about 11 but it’s not without its challenges,” says Audlin, who asked the Financial Times not to use his real name in case it hurts his job prospects. “You’ve got the stress of pilot training, which is incredibly intense, coupled with financial stress.” It is a critical moment for the airline industry. Boeing, the aircraft manufacturer, has warned that 558,000 commercial pilots will be needed globally by 2034 to meet a surge in demand for air travel. That equates to 28,000 extra jobs a year. The cost of training is substantial: it can exceed GBP100,000 for those who undertake a full-time 18-month course. Many, like Audlin, opt to study part-time to reduce the cost by tens of thousands of pounds. Some experts have said that airlines will struggle to meet the shortfall if more is not done to support new pilots financially. “The industry needs to get its act together,” says Jim McAuslan, general secretary of the British Airline Pilots Association. “Everyone is outsourcing the responsibility to the individual who has a dream of being a pilot, but if there’s not enough investment by airlines and by the government, then we are not going to have enough pilots to fly UK plc in the future.” The problem has been accentuated by a change in the way pilot training is funded. Twenty years ago, airlines mostly paid for training, or pilots would join from the military. However, as cuts have been made across an industry that often struggles to be profitable, the financial burden has gradually shifted to the trainee, and most have to cover the cost with bank or family loans.<br/>
