Canada – Kamloops Councillor Bill Sarai, who also serves as President of the Kamloops Airport Authority Society (KAAS), is calling on municipal and provincial government bodies to advocate for enhanced financial‑aid access for students pursuing flight‑training programmes. The move is positioned as a response to pilot and aviation‑worker shortages that are impacting regional connectivity and economic opportunity.
- Sarai’s motion requests the federal government to extend existing student‑loan, grant and apprenticeship‑style support to flight‑training programmes—currently excluded under many federal aid systems.
- It also calls on the Province of British Columbia to include flight‑training courses in provincial financial‑aid frameworks so that aspiring pilots can access tuition support and loans.
- Sarai cited anecdotes from his role at KAAS in which airlines are “struggling with a lack of pilots and aviation workers” and the “cost associated with pilot training – estimated between CAD $80,000 and $120,000 – is a barrier for many potential students".
- The motion highlights the downstream effect on regional air connectivity: smaller airports such as Kamloops Airport are hindered because airlines are less likely to expand route networks when staffing and pilot‑supply are constrained.
- According to Transport Canada, Canada faces a “strong risk of labour shortage” for air‑pilots over the period 2024‑2033 at the national level.
- A 2025 report cites Canada may face a shortfall of 42,000‑55,000 aviation‑workers by 2035.
Source: Kamloops City Council
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