Why aren t more people airline pilots?

Most pilots are retiring because of age: At least 5,773 retire each year because they hit the mandatory retirement age of 65. By 2029, not a single baby boomer will be able to legally fly commercial aircraft, says Mark Baier, CEO at Aviation Manuals and an aviation safety expert and licensed commercial pilot.



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Extensive (and Expensive) Training Deterring Students
Co-pilots' flight-hour requirements increased from 250 hours to a whopping 1,500 hours. Pilots must also have 1,000 hours as a co-pilot. When flight time can cost more than $100 per hour, training expenses add up quickly.

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Publicly available data on hiring, employment, and wages indicate strong current demand for pilots. Meeting that demand has been particularly difficult for regional airlines—which generally serve smaller communities—and has, according to them, affected their operations.

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A pilot shortage with nearly 15,000 pilots set to retire in the next five years, according to a 2022 study from the Regional Airline Association. Air traffic controller shortage with 10% fewer fully certified air traffic controllers than a decade ago.

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The root cause of the coming shortage varies by region: In the United States, it's an aging workforce facing mandatory retirement, fewer pilots exiting the military, and barriers to entry, including the cost of training.

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Air Canada said this week it would halt six non-stop flights from Calgary at the end of October because of resource pressures due to an industry wide shortage of regional pilots. It's definitely a concern, said John Gradek, a faculty lecturer in aviation management at McGill University in Montreal.

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The demand for pilots will be at an all-time high over the next 20 years, according to some industry experts. Most of the expected pilot shortage will be experienced in China and India, with a smaller demand felt in the United States and Middle East.

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A pillar of these reforms is the “1,500 Hour Rule” which requires first officers, also known as co-pilots, to have a minimum of 1,500 hours of flight training time. Since this rule was implemented in 2012, our skies have never been safer.

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Unlike other professions, say lawyers or sales agents, airline pilots are generally loved and respected. There is just so much respect for the profession that not a few would regard it a personal honor to be in acquaintance with a pilot.

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Overall employment of airline and commercial pilots is projected to grow 6 percent from 2021 to 2031, about as fast as the average for all occupations. About 18,100 openings for airline and commercial pilots are projected each year, on average, over the decade.

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An acute pilot shortage for major airlines including United, Delta, American and Southwest is forcing the industry to rethink how it trains pilots and recruits the next generation of aviation labor in the cockpit.

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Do pilots find their jobs meaningful? On average, pilots rate the meaningfulness of their work a 3.6/5. Unlike many careers, pilots have little difficulty finding meaning in their work, and it likely constitutes one of the main reasons people become pilots.

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In the 1980s, roughly two-thirds of all airline pilots in the United States had some form of military experience, be it Air Force, Army, Navy, or National Guard. Today, it is estimated that about one-third of airline pilots have military backgrounds, a sharp reduction that can be attributed to multiple factors.

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How Long Does it Take to Become a Pilot? It takes two months to become a pilot and earn your private pilot license. To become an airline pilot, it takes two years to gain the required 1,500 hours flight time.

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Under Part 117, the part of the federal law that covers flight duty limitations and rest requirements for airline pilots, pilots are limited to 100 hours per month and 1,000 hours per year, in addition to daily restrictions.

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Which country pays the most salary to pilots?
  • 1- Qatar – Average monthly salary of $18,333.
  • 2- UAE – Monthly average salary of $16,666.
  • 3- Netherlands – Average monthly salary $20416.
  • 4- France – Average monthly salary of $19583.
  • 5- Ireland – Average monthly salary $18750.
  • 6- Canada – Average monthly salary $18750.


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In the U.S., there are no FAA age limits for pilots except for commercial airline pilots employed by airlines certificated under 14 CFR Part 121. These airlines cannot employ pilots after they reach the age of 65. However, these pilots may stay on with a Part 121 carrier in some other role, such as flight engineer.

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The industry's pilot shortage is likely to continue for a few years and airlines are negotiating bumper new contracts, which means pay is expected to keep rising. The mounting labor costs will affect the whole sector but impact some airline stocks more than others.

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Canadian Pilots Are Trained for Life Our pilots are some of the best-trained in the industry, dedicated to always putting passenger safety first. Despite the unique challenges, the Canadian standard for passenger and cargo safety is unmatched.

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The average pilot salary in Canada is $85,638 per year or $43.92 per hour. Entry-level positions start at $63,150 per year, while most experienced workers make up to $136,642 per year.

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