Asia's Shortage of Pilots

With increasing deregulation and increasing consumer demand, many new commercial airlines are starting operations and offering flights throughout Asia. But there is a serious shortage of pilots. According to Alteon Training, a Boeing company, India has fewer than 3,000 pilots today, but will need more than 12,000 by 2025. China will need to find an average of 2,200 new pilots each year, just to keep up with the growth in air travel, which means it will need more than 40,000 pilots by 2025, according to the international journal, Economist.  Asian airlines are in such need of pilots that they are often hiring first officers with less experience; they have also taken to poaching pilots from other airlines. Philippine Airlines, for instance, lost 75 pilots to overseas airlines during the past few years. China has been trying to lure pilots from Brazil, among other places.

If you are interested in becoming a pilot for an international airline, Phoenix East Aviation can provide the training you need.  Call 800-868-4359 (from the U.S.) or 001-386-258-0703 (from anywhere in the world) for details -- or check out our web site www.pea.com.

China's Airline Industry Rapid Development

In recent years China's aviation industry has developed rapidly, with an average annual growth rate greater than 16%, according to the country's civil aviation authority (CAAC).  As a result, a shortage of pilots, technical workers, air space and airport capacity has occurred.  The government is forecasting a 14% annual growth in passenger numbers through 2010, after which even more rapid growth is forecasted.

To give it time to expand its aviation infastructure and services, China will allow few new Chinese start-up airlines for the next three years.  Exceptions to this include airlines carrying freight, airlines that use mainly foreign pilots, and airlines that serve the West and Northeast of the country, where development is slower than in the Eastern sections of the country.

China has indicated that because of the rapid aviation industry expansion, 18 of its airports are operating beyond designed capacity, especially Beijing, which is the country's largest and the world's 9th busiest airport.

Do You Want To Work for An Airline That's Growing?

If you wish to work for an airline that's aggressive and growing, that's easy to do today, with the boom in aviation growth. But to apply some statistics and figures to that statement, here's more about the latest airlines that are buying new aircraft, and which ones are partnering with and acquiring other airlines:

Pinnacle Airlines has purchased Colgan Airlines for US $20-million. Pinnacle will now serve a significant proportion of the US major airlines with agreements with Continental, United and US Airways.

Frontier Airlines has selected Republic Airlines to operate 17 Embraer 170s, as part of Frontier's regional jet service.

Midwest Airlines is partnering with Skywest Airlines to operate up to 25 50-seat CRJs. Flying as Midwest Connect, the SkyWest jets will allow Midwest to add new destinations, increase frequency on existing routes and hire more pilots.

Northwest Airlines is acquiring Mesaba Airlines. Mesaba operates a fleet of 46 Saab 340s. The major airline has also established a wholly-owned regional called Compass Airlines.

US Airways has accepted delivery of two new Embraer 190 E-Jets. The airline has placed firm orders for 25 more 190 jets, plus 32 additional orders for future delivery.

Delta Airlines is using Big Sky Airlines to increase service between Boston and select Northeastern markets. Using its fleet of Beech 1900Ds, Big Sky will add 16 new daily flights.

Air One, the Italian airline, is continuing its expansion with an order of 50 more Airbus A320s. This is on top of 40 already ordered. Air One currently serves 23 airports in Italy and 9 international cities.

Tatarstan Airlines, the national airline of the Republic of Tatarstan, has ordered six CRJ900s from Bonbardier. The carrier is based In Kazan.

South African regional airline, Airlink, has signed a lease for three BAe 146-200s from BAE Systems. Airlink will use these aircraft for flights from Johannesburg to Lusaka, Zambia, and Harare, Zimbabwe.

Ryanair has bought 27 more 737-800s, valued at US $2 billion.

AirTran has orders 15 more 737-700s. The airline now has 115 aircraft on firm order.

Delta adds 14 CRJ900's for Comair operation. They will begin scheduled flights as part of Delta Connection.

Flybe has bought a further 15 Q400s from Bombardier for US $394 million. It has also taken an option on 15 additional aircraft.

EgyptAir has taken delivery on the first of six Embraer 170s. They have an option on six additional aircraft. The E-170s are the backbone of the EgyptAir Express fleet.

And to end this article with a really large order, Qatar Airways has placed an order with Airbus for 80 of the new A 350XWB aircraft. The A 350XWB is Airbus' newest aircraft and will be the world's most technologically advanced.

You Are Not Alone in Your Love of Aviation

Have you ever heard of an event called AirVenture? It is sponsored by the U.S.-based Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) and is held every summer in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.  It draws enormous numbers of aviation buffs, pilots and industry businesses.  The numbers are staggering: This year attendance at the event topped 560,000 visitors. Other numbers included more than 10,000 aircraft that flew in to Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh and nearby fields -- 2,647 showplanes (985 homebuilts, 1,014 vintage airplanes, 365 warbirds, 136 ultralights, 117 seaplanes and 30 rotorcraft). 

This exciting show -- one everyone with a passion for aviation should try to attend at least once in his life -- also drew 784 commercial exhibitors (all showing equipment, accessories and related items for aircraft) and 38,000 campers, some camping under the wings of the aircraft they flew in to Oshkosh. 

And to report on this massive annual event around the world, there were 887 media representatives at the show, coming from six continents.

If you are interested in aviation as a career -- or are now in flight training (or want to be) -- this show once again shows the strength of the worldwide interest and passion for aviation.  Phoenix East Aviation can tell you more about what it takes to be one of these pilots.

Trillion Dollar Aircraft Market Forecasted

Boeing, one of the two largest aircraft manufacturers in the world, has forecasted a demand for new aircraft worth US $3.8 trillion over the next 20 years. This is based on a five percent annual increase in passenger traffic growth, and more than a six percent increase in air cargo traffic.

The cargo growth of over six percent a year is for air frieght alone; another nearly three percent growth is predicted every year for airmail. This will triple the volume of world air cargo traffic over the next 20 years.

To meet this projected growth, the average size of freighter aircraft is expected to increase, plus the dedicated cargo fleet will more than double to nearly 4,000 aircraft.

The cargo fleet will partly consist of passenger aircraft converted to freighters, plus a projected other nearly 900 new freighter aircraft.

And these cargo aircraft are getting bigger: Boeing says that by 2026, about 64 percent of the freighter fleet will be wide-body type aircraft. Currently, 58 percent are widebody jets.

This is more good news for new pilots and for those pilots still in training.  More aircraft and more jobs coming your way.

Emirates Airline Places Big Order for Jets

Sheik Ahmed bin Saeed al-Maktoum, chairman of Emirates Airline, has order 55 superjumbo Airbus A380 passenger jets, to create the biggest fleet of these double-decker airplanes in the world. His plan to to make Dubai the busiest international airline hub in the world, bigger than London, New York and Singapore.

This ambitious plan is not unusual for Sheik Ahmed: He built Emirates from just two planes and only $10 million in 1985 into the world's eighth largest international carrier, with a fleet of 105 widebody aircraft currently. It is not only the world's fastest-growing airline, it is also one of the most consistently profitable. It has been profitable ofr 19 of the airline's 20 years in business; it receives no state subsidies.

Sheik Ahmed was at the recent Paris Air Show to meet industry leaders -- and to shop. He added another eight more A380s to his order, with a list price of $2.6 billion. He also has plans to spend another $82 billion on aviation, icluding building a new $33 billion Dubai airport with six runways. Plans show it to be twice the size of Hong Kong Island and the world's largest airport complex. Mr. Cullermore of Aviation Economics Consulting said Emirates' strategy is likely to be effective because there is a need for another big hub to connect traffic between cities in Europe, Asia and Africa.

Sheik Ahmed clearly is planning for the future and believes commercial aviation worldwide will continue to grow and expand.

Airlines Handle More Passengers -- Need More Pilots

So you want to be an airline pilot, but are not sure a job will be waiting for you after pilot training?

Over the past three years, this blog has written a number of articles about the rapid growth of commercial aviation and how this growth has demanded -- and continues to demand -- more pilots. Check out those articles, listed with other articles, on the Phoenix East Aviation blog. Those articles confirm the worldwide growth in commercial aviation.

Here is more evidence, from worldwide Reuters News Service about the continuing growth:

The number of passengers passing through airports worldwide hit a record of 4.4 BILLION in 2006, an increase of nearly 5% from 2005, according to Airports Council International. The 1,640 airports operated by its members in 178 countries also processed 94.3 million tons of cargo last year, up 4% from the previous year.

Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A., was the world's busiest airport, with nearly 85 million travelers, followed by Chicago O'Hare Airport with 77 million, and London Heathrow with 67 million passengers.

Growth in aviation traffic requires more flights -- and more flights naturally require more pilots.  Pilots are limited to a maximum number of flying hours a month. Therefore, more flights require more pilots to be hired.  Call Phoenix East Aviation for more information on what it takes to be ready to be hired by an airline.  Our Admissions Officers have all the details.