Qualification Shortage?

There could be unanticipated consequences from airline hiring incentives.

Les Abend

Tuesday, January 24, 2023 at 07:46 PM ET

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Key Takeaways:

The airline industry is grappling with an "experience-qualification shortage" similar to the 1960s, leading to a debate over reevaluating the Restricted Airline Transport Pilot (R-ATP) flight time minimums.
The author argues that current R-ATP flight time requirements inadequately measure pilot quality and advocates for a more dynamic, metrics-based approach to qualifications.
While incentives are attracting new pilots, they risk creating training bottlenecks and may have unintended consequences for regional airlines' business models and major airlines' ability to attract experienced regional captains.
Despite strong current demand, the article cautions new pilots about future uncertainties from economic downturns and the unknown long-term consequences of current short-term solutions.

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Shortly after upgrading to the right seat on the Boeing 767/757 in the 1980s, I had the good fortune to fly with the No. 1 captain on American Airlines’ seniority list. He was a gracious man, the type of captain that never allowed a copilot to take a wallet out on a layover. His flying skills and judgment set a standard to which I aspired. He had been hired with less than 500 hours of total flight time. Say whaaat?

Yup, in the early 1960s, the combination of World War II vets retiring at the mandatory age of 60, the beginning of the jet age, and the expansion of routes left airlines with pilot applicants that were less experienced.