Airlines in the United States are a major part of the country’s economic strength, but a shortage of pilots is causing concerns about the long-term stability of the industry.
According to CNN.com, the Federal Aviation Administration revealed that despite a massive increase in demand for air travel over the last 30 years, the number of pilots employed in the U.S. has dropped around 30 percent since 1987.
The report claims the shortage is hitting regional airlines the hardest.
West Virginia University assistant professor Peter Gall believes that while being a pilot was once a prestigious career that many people desired, new rules such as the 1978 Airline Deregulation Act forced airlines to cut costs and lower the average income of employees.
Add in the fact the military is supplying fewer pilots, and airlines are being forced to ask the government for help in finding and keeping pilots, including raising the mandatory retirement age and requesting changes to the 1,500-hour rule.
While the improvements made thus far will help in the short term, Gall believes it’s up to the airlines to recruit and train their own candidates. American Airlines recently launched its own Cadet Academy with the intent of hiring and training the next generation of pilots.
The airline industry’s pilot shortage problem is not just confined to the U.S., as international carriers such as Emirates, Qantas Airways, Ryanair and Air France have all been dealing with their own pilot issues, according to Reuters.
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