Pandemic Impacts and Pilot Demands.

We are all growing weary of the global pandemic which has waged a war on all aspects of our lives. Potentially, more than 15 million people have lost their lives because of Covid in the last two and half years when you examine all excess deaths - those above historical averages. That is a mind numbing number. The grief, and family disruption, is just devastating.

Here, in New Zealand, we have largely escaped the devastation as we came together as one to beat the initial infection and subsequently we have extremely high vaccination rates; and the conspiracy nutters didn’t quite get a hold here. But, just like every other country, disruption to supply lines, labour shortages and closed borders have given us our fair share of pandemic pain. And the industry that has taken a hit more than most is commercial aviation. This directly affects the pilots who fly the behemoths that move goods and people around the country and planet.

When borders all around the world closed, the well oiled machine that commercial aviation was, suddenly ground to a halt. Pilots were laid off and others were put on open ended furlough – in other words – ‘We’ll take you back some day but in the meantime you have to make your income some other way’. We heard the stories of pilots becoming real estate agents, working in supermarkets and becoming bus drivers. Simply to earn a living whilst they waited to gain their wings once more.

The disruption to international aviation was so bad that emergency meetings were called to discuss the passenger situation. In 2021, CAPA – Centre for Aviation, wrote that business travel had plummeted 60% because of impacts of Working from Home, holiday travellers were down nearly 90% and were going to be very slow to return to international travel as they worried whether airlines and hotels could effectively protect them from the virus.

In effect, aviation had returned to the conditions last seen in the 1930s, with very similar concerns with border closures and safety concerns, though this time, it was pandemic rather than pre-war.

If you took the time to look at FlightRadar, the skies were depressingly empty. It had become the domain of the ghost planes – freight carriers – those huge aircraft you saw take off and land, but which never pulled up to a terminal. Loaded with freight, they crossed the skies in cold silence. The freight kept cool and by its nature, silent. Unlike the warm cabins full of busy human interactions.

For any new student pilot, the outlook looked very grim. Was it ‘over Rover’ for the aviation industry?

Clearly, the answer is an emphatic ‘NO!’. Air New Zealand has recalled all its pilots and in the very near future will be advertising for new pilots. Airlines all round the world are poaching pilots from other airlines and those who have sufficient hours for employment are being hired in every tier in every country and continent.

So, what is driving this unexpected rush to hire?

It’s quite simply really. It boils down to the qualities of being human.

Viber, Facetime and Zoom can only go so far. For friends and family, to be able to touch those you love is way more important than words and smiles on a screen.

Equally, business transactions are more solid when sitting down together over a coffee or shared notes – being in the presence of each other increasing the level of trust.

And on a more prosaic note, pilots grow old and die just like everyone else. According to CAE (International pilot training company), the industry will require 260,000 new pilots before 2030. There will be a requirement for 97,000 pilots in the Asia Pacific arena alone.

This is being driven by the rapidly aging pilot demographic. Globally, nearly 40% of pilots are currently over the age of 50. Air New Zealand is no exception and when the pandemic hit the airline encouraged its pilots who were nearing retirement to leave early. There were also those who left the industry because of being made redundant who have found better roles out of the industry, so have no intention to return.

Industry commentators believe by 2025, the industry will have grown 15% more than 2019 figures as people return in a rush to flying - for holidays, business and increased freight carriage. It may take a couple of years to get this great complex up and running smoothly again. It will be clunky and disordered initially as the airlines feel their way in the post pandemic era but those who are training to be a pilot right now, have been blessed with perfect timing.

Now is the time to stretch those wings of yours and go for it.