“I would say, regardless of whether it’s Manistee or any other airport, travel is less reliable, and flights have been canceled and you may not get to your destination,” Blacker Airport Director Barry Lind told Manistee News. “The airport can’t do much about that.”

Lind cited a number of reasons as to why there is a pilot shortage and that is, first, there is a discrepancy in the number of pilots needed and the number of certified airline pilots produced. According to Lind, about 13,000 pilots are needed each year but only around 6,500 certificates commercial airplanes were issued each year citing data from the US regulator, the Federal Aviation Administration.

Aside from that, flight training is very expensive and that pilots are mandated to retire at age 65. Pilot shortage has also worsen due to airlines offering incentive packages for pilots to retire even before they reach the age of 65 during the onset of the pandemic.

But US airlines operating from Blacker Airport are employing strategies to combat the Pilot Shortage.

Photo Credit – Cape Air

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