The United States airline industry may be facing a pilot shortage pretty soon as thousands of pilots will soon retire and new pilots need to be highly experienced.
According to the Wall Street Journal, a combination of retiring pilots and stricter requirements for new pilots, may cause a pilot shortage in the United States. Starting next summer, newly hired pilots will be required to have at least 1,500 hours of prior flight experience, which is six times the current minimum requirement.
The new requirement means that more time and money will be needed to train those who want to be pilots at a time when the job isn't so desired anymore. American pilots face longer hours and have faced pay cuts recently, so many have transferred to overseas carriers. Thousands of senior pilots will also retire soon as they are required to retired at the age of 65.
In addition to all of this, a federal mandate that will take place in 2014 will give pilots more resting time.
Several airlines are already trying to hire new pilots to avoid a shortage. According to Airlines for America, a trade group which manages major airlines that currently employ 50,800 pilots, major airlines will need to hire 60,000 pilots by 2025 to replace those who leave the force.
Delta Air Lines will need about 3,500 new pilots over the next ten years to keep their number at 12,000. American Airlines had plans to hire 2,500 pilots over the next five years. United Airlines is also accepting applications for new pilots, according to the WSJ.
There hasn't been a pilot shortage since the 1960's. That shortage was due to the Vietnam War. Those who could have been pilots at the time were serving overseas. When the military pilots finished their tours, they became commercial pilots and the shortage came to an end.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
