Not sure if anyone can answer this question. I have read through forums on here and online but every forum I am finding is out of date from 2016-2017. I was wondering how is the current airline industry and if there is still an extreme pilot shortage. If so, does it seem it will continue for the next 5-10 years? Obviously, nothing is ever guaranteed in life and the economy has a big role in deciding this. Other then flight hours what are some things on your resume that could make you stand out to get an interview if their is not a pilot shortage in the future?
You obviously haven’t been on THIS forum because we discuss the shortage daily. While it’s forecast to continue you’re correct, things can tank at any time. There are definitely things you can do to make yourself standout should we get to the point where a pulse is no longer enough.
Education is always a good thing. While not required by the Regionals is always nice to see. No checkride failures and letters of recommendation from people you’ve flown with (owner/mgr of your flight school, examiners, etc). One of the best things is doing your training at a flight school with a solid reputation. One of the primary reasons I chose ATP was the fact that they had agreements with Regionals long before anyone else. Back when it was legal ATP students were actually getting hired with reduced hours because the airlines were confident in ATP students ability to successfully complete training.
Thanks for the response and information. Looking back I probably didn’t phrase my question correctly. Can we expect the pilot shortage to last another 5-10 years or are airlines becoming successful in hiring enough students to eventually fill the pilot shortage? Are more people trying to become a pilot now because of a pilot shortage?
You probably haven’t seen any updated articles because those are the most recent ones and not much has changed. The only changes that I’ve seen are regionals have “wait lists” so to speak. They are filling classes about 6 months out. That said, there is still a shortage. United just announced that they bought a flight school. You can also look at the projected retirements for each airline on airlinepilotcentral.com and you’ll notice the majority of current major airline pilots will be forced to retire for the next 20 years. You’re not late to the party. But nothing is ever guaranteed.