Aviation News

India Continues to Hire Foreign Pilots

India's airlines have grown at a pace too rapid for them to train and hire Indian pilots. Therefore, they have for years hired foreign or "expat" pilots.  The civil aviation authority, Directorate General of Civil Aviation, has recently granted their domestic airlines approval to continue to hire foreign pilots until at least 2013, as airlines prepare to induct 240 new planes in three years to meet the demand of increased travel among Indian citizens.

Previously, the Indian government has granted only yearly extensions on hiring foreign pilots; however, they have now granted a three-year extension as the airlines become better at training and hiring within India. Domestic Indian airlines, via the Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA) had requested  the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) grant a five year window to hire foregin pilots and keep the current oens on their payroll.

Middle East Aviation Growth Update

There continues to be many articles in the news about the Middle East and the area's growth in commercial aviation. You will find much continuing information and updates on this blog.  Be sure to see previous posts for more data.

Aircraft manufacturer Dassault Falcon sees a 30% growth in the fleets of aircraft of airlines in the Middle East. The company also notes a an increase in private aviation and business jet operators in the region. This includes business users such as corporate leaders and entrepreneurs who value the efficiency of charter jets.

According to Dassault Falcon's president, the regions of the world that are most active currently in placing orders for the company's aircraft are the Middle East, South America and Asia. Dassault sold 14 aircraft in teh Middle East in the past couple of years, plus have a backlog of 15 more to deliver in the next two years. As a result, a new Falcon training center will be opening in Dubai later this year.

Pilots Needed in the U.S.

The big jet aircraft manufacturers, Boeing Aircraft and Airbus, agree on the numbers below, as well as the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), so you can rely on them as the best available analysis at this point.

How many new pilots are estimated to be needed in the U.S. from 2009-2025?  And how many new commercial aircraft?  In summary, a lot of both new pilots and additional aircraft.  This presents an excellent opportunity for those who wish to be professional pilots, flying commercial airlines.  However, it is strongly recommended that if you wish to be part of the exciting, challenging career as a commercial pilot, you must train NOW to take advantage of this expected industry growth.

NEW PILOTS NEEDED in the U.S.                                            NEW AIRCRAFT NEEDED IN THE U.S.

Major Airlines     55,000                                                                    4,600

National Airlines  15,000                                                                    2,000

Jet Regional Airlines 6,800                                                                    900

Non-jet Regional Airlines 3,500                                                           3,500

Fractional Companies     5,500                                                            1,200

A New Airline for the U.S.

Vision Airlines, a new airline to begin commercial service in the U.S. in March, will serve 23 cities.  The airline will be flying primarily to cities in the Southeast U.S., which it considered an areas underserviced by major airlines. When major airlines do serve these smaller Southeastern cities, the fares are often higher and layovers between connecting flights longer.

Vision Airlines will fly mostly to secondary cities, with the exception being large hubs such as Atlanta, Georgia, and Houston, Texas.   

India Places Big Order for Aircraft -- the Biggest in History?

India's aviation industry is clearly preparing for more growth in the future.  A very large order was just placed by IndiGo, one of India's low-cost carrier's, for 150 new A320neo aircraft, which has a value of nearly USD $16 Billion.  India is considered an emerging, fast-growing aviation market, and IndiGo is clearly a fast-growing airline.

Airbus, the manufacturer of the A320neo, has indicated that if the order holds firm, it would be the biggest order in terms of the number of aircraft in aviation history, according to the New York Times.

The A320neo is the latest version of Airbus' A320. It is scheduled to be ready to begin delivery in 2016.  This new model aircraft is expected to have a 15% fuel savings over the current A320, as well as other technological new features, such as lower carbon emissions and decreased engine noise.

Airbus' best selling aircraft is the currently the A320.  Nearly 7,000 of them have been ordered by 310 airlines throughout the world since it went into service 23 years ago.  It competes with Boeing Aircraft's B-737 which first came into service in 1968.

If you are interested in flying for IndiGo or another of India's airlines, start your flight training now.  Contact Phoenix East Aviation at www.pea.com for more information on how you can soon be wearing the uniform of an airline pilot.

 

Flying for a Cargo Airline

You may dream of flying for a big passenger airline such as British Air, Lufthansa, or American Airlines, but there are advantages to working for a cargo airline too.  You probably didn't realize that in the U.S., the highest paid pilots currently are working for the cargo company UPS.  During a 35 year career with UPS, pilots will make over USD $14 million at today's salaries!  That averages USD$408,000 per year (NOTE: keep in mind that a pilot's salary is modest when he or she first starts a career and then by the time he retires, it is typically considerable.)

if you fly for a cargo company -- and there are many throughout the world -- you may find yourself flying  often at night and on a flexible schedule.  You may also be flying all over the world or just domestically in your own country. You will receive all the benefits and perks that a typical airline pilot, who flies passengers, will receive. 

this is just another example of an excellent career you can have as a professional pilot. See www.pea.com for information on how to train to become a career pilot. 

26,000 New Aircraft Needed in the Next 20 Years -- and the Pilots to Fly Them

Airbus' Global Market Forecast has indicated that nearly 26,000 new cargo and passenger aircraft will be required in the next 20 years. This great demand is driven by a number of factors, including increased growth in air travel throughout the world and replacement of aircraft for newer, more fuel efficient and eco-friendly models. The dynamic growth in newer markets, especially among Asia's low-cost air carriers, is another strong factor.     

In passenger air traffic volume, domestic US leads the world with 11%, followed by domestic air traffic in China with 8% of the world's total. Intra-European travel ranks next with 7%.

According the Airbus forecasts, airlines in the Asia Pacific region, which includes India and China, are expected to carry one-third of the world's passenger travel by 2029.  This will overtake both the US and Europe, which are each expected to account for 23% by 2029.

The number of very large aircraft, such as the Airbus A380, is expected to be over 1,700 by 2029.  And for twin-aisle aircraft, over 6,000 new passenger and cargo aircraft will be delivered in the next 20 years. In the single-aisle aircraft segment -- a favorite with regional and low-cost airlines -- almost 18,000 aircraft are expected to be delivered in the next 20 years.  

Would you like to be one of the pilots for these new aircraft? Phoenix East Aviation has been training pilots for airlines worldwide since 1972.  See www.pea.com for just some of the airlines PEA graduates are flying for.  Contact an admissions officer to learn more about how you can begin your flight training.

Guess How Many Pilots Are Needed per Aircraft

When an airline buys a new aircraft to add to its fleet, how many pilots must that airline hire?  You may think two pilots or even four, but if you say that, you've guessed far too low.  In the U.S. for the major or legacy airlines, such as Delta and United/Continental, each new aircraft added to the airline needs an average of 12.55 new pilots.

For U.S. national airlines such as Southwest Airlines, 10.15 new pilots are needed for every additional aircraft the airline buys.

For U.S. jet operators, such as regional airlines, which tend to fly smaller aircraft than the major or national airlines, each new aircraft brought online will require 8.17 new pilots on average. For non-jet airlines, 3.46 more pilots are needed for each new plane.  And when a fractional jet operator,such as NetJets, buys a new aircraft, they must hire on average 4.06 new pilots.

 

 

Salaries for Pilots

It is common knowledge that being an airline pilot is a good career -- with good pay, benefits, flexibility and time off for family and recreation.  But exactly how much do pilots really make in salary?

Keeping in mind that a beginning pilot makes a modest salary, but a senior captain with 30-35 years with a major airline makes a very significant salary -- I have averaged  the salaries for pilots of major U.S. airlines.  Over your entire career of 35 years, flying for a major U.S. airline such as American Airlines or United Airlines, you will make an average of USD $249,000 to $297,000 per year.  The most highly paid pilots are those working for the world-wide cargo company, UPS.  These pilots, averaging their pay over a 35 year career, make approximately $408,000 per year.

These figures are courtesy of Kim Darby, U.S. airline consultant.

Qatar Aviation Industry

Both the commercial airline industry and the private jet charter business continue on the path of strong growth in the Middle Eastern country of Qatar.

Qatar Airways is one of the fastest growing carriers in the Middle East, with orders currently for 80 Airbus A350s, 60 Boeing B787s and 32 Boeing B777. The airline has also ordered five of the new Airbus A380 Super Jumbos.  Clearly, strong continued growth is anticipated.

In addition to a growing commercial airline industry, Qatar now holds 10 percent of the Middle East's air charter business. It has become an attractive alternative to scheduled airline travel for many Middle Eastern residents, especially busy CEOs and senior business leaders, members of the royal families, and other members of the region's affluent residents.  Chartering an aircraft can be a great savings in time and convenience for busy people. And with a whole range of aircraft typically available from a jet charter company, using such services is often superior in terms of logistics and associated costs than owning a private fleet of aircraft. 

Jet charter companies, as well as airlines, need many new pilots today to satisfy the continuing growth in aviation.  It is an excellent opportunity for a career, with good pay, superb benefits and an exciting lifestyle.  Phoenix East Aviation trains pilots for airlines worldwide.  For more information see www.pea.com.