Smaller Regional Airlines are staring to experience shortages and are ramping up hiring from the General Aviation Industry as well as re-activating their ab-initio programs.

The larger Australian Airlines in the country are in a good position and have a sustainable pilot pipeline, but the problem comes in when speaking with smaller regional airlines where they are at a disadvantage. Even major US airlines are increasing recruitment of Australian pilots by offering higher salaries and good amount of sign-on bonuses.

Global Aviation Media Publication, Simple Flying, in its recently published Analysis Article entitled “Is The Global Pilot Shortage Impacting Australian Aviation?” answers whether or not the Australian Aviation is impacted by the global pilot shortage. Check out their full article here – partial extract below:

“Like elsewhere, the Australian aviation industry is experiencing pilot shortages but it’s not necessarily the biggest airlines feeling the most pain.

The global pilot shortage is having repercussions everywhere, including in Australia. Airlines worldwide let their pilot numbers drop during the pandemic. The Australian Federation of Air Pilots, the country’s peak pilot body, says around 23% of its members were made redundant during COVID-19. As the airlines get back on track faster than anticipated, pilot shortages are causing some complications.

Australia’s two biggest passenger airlines, the Qantas Group (which includes Jetstar) and Virgin Australia, are both boosting their pilot numbers. Qantas runs its own pilot academies, and Virgin Australia is recruiting as it plans to increase its fleet numbers. Recently complicating matters in Australia were COVID close contact rules, which temporarily ground working pilots (and other airline workers). In one well-publicized case, Qantas sent out an urgent plea for pilots to put some overtime in to keep three long-haul international flights and several domestic flights flying the following day.

Like airlines elsewhere, Australia’s big airlines have enough pilots to operate their scheduled flights, but their reserve pilot ranks are thin, and when things go wrong, that thinness can become a problem.”