ADTS: Industry must address pilot shortage issues

PICTURED: Captain Mohammed Ahmed, Director of Operations at Air Arabia, addressing the first-ever Aerospace & Defence Training Show (ADTS) at Dubai’s Airport Expo.

They were addressing the region’s first-ever Aerospace & Defence Training Show (ADTS) at Dubai’s Airport Expo.

Captain Lee Woodward, Head of CTC Wings, a UK-based pilot training facility, said: “The industry is facing a pilot shortage and in order to hit the targets, in line with airline fleet growth, we need to promote aviation training. That means airlines should map out a career that’s attractive to individuals today.”

His remarks were echoed by Captain Mohammed Ahmed, Director of Operations at Air Arabia. “While a career in flying is attractive – a short study time, high salary – airlines don’t get involved in education early enough to encourage young people to pursue pilot training,” he said. “Another challenge is that airlines don’t plan for their future pilot requirements. Training is the first in line for cost-cutting when airlines are faced with uncontrolled costs such as a fuel hikes.”

Taking manufacturers’ market outlook studies into account, IATA predicts that 17,650 new passenger aircraft will be delivered by 2018, requiring more than 200,000 new pilots, or nearly 19,000 pilots a year. Current global training programmes can produce a maximum of 15,200 per year, leaving a shortfall of more than 3,000 pilots annually.

Alison Weller, Managing Director of F&E Aerospace, said: “ADTS was our first-ever show dedicated to training within the aerospace industry and we are enormously pleased with the calibre of speakers at the conference and the exhibitors, ensuring our visitors received a comprehensive understanding of the industry, whether to gain a better understanding of the issues addressed, build contacts in the training industry or build on their existing training requirements."