Pilot shortage in the United States to increase with more retiring

The airline industry in the United States is expected to be facing even more of a shortage of pilots with more pilots retiring and consequently putting more pressure on airfares in general.

“The pilot shortage has resulted in a collapse in air service,” said the president and CEO of the Regional Airline Association Faye Malarkey Black.

Black said that more than half of the pilots working today have hit the mandatory retirement age of 65.

Severe Pilot Shortage

Black said that there was a severe shortage of pilots nationwide and 42 states have less airline service now than before the pandemic. Some 136 airports have lost at least a quarter of their service and airlines have completely cut off flights to 11 airports in smaller cities.

According to a CNN report there are currently more than 500 planes with regional airlines that are just sitting idle without enough pilots to fly them. According to Black the large airlines hired more than 13,000 pilots in 2022 from smaller carriers. In addition there were 9,500 new entrants last year but not enough to keep pace with demand.

Black said the cost of training for a new pilot can be $80,000, with total costs reaching $200,000 when combined with the cost of a bachelor’s degree.

“Unlike other career path that require additional professional credentialing such as doctors and lawyers, accredited pilot training programs can’t access additional lending available through graduate aid programs to cover the higher costs,” she said in her prepared remarks.

Although there is some talk about making pilot qualifications more lenient. President of the Airline Pilots Association Jason Ambrosi told the House Transportation subcommittee that “This is not time to weaken safety standards.”

Pandemic and Pilot Shortage

Ambrosi argued that the airlines are under-staffed right now because they are not providing pilots adequate pay and quality of life conditions, and because of management decisions made during the pandemic.

“The current labor market is complicated by pilots moving among carriers as they leave airlines that offer less attractive careers for those offering better pay and quality of life.”

He argued against raising the pilot retirement age. He also pushed back on arguments for raising the pilot retirement age.

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