Is the World Running out of Pilots? Global Pilot Shortage Explained

INTRODUCTION

"Ladies and Gentlemen, this is your captain speaking... except, we don't actually have a captain today." It sounds like a bad joke, right? Well, this was obviously exaggerated, but in 2025, pilot shortage has turned into one of the aviation's biggest problems.

I remember when I was 10, our teacher asked us what we wanted to become when we grow up, and almost 7 out of 10 children replied that they wanted to become a pilot. And it is understandable, being a pilot is so glamorous: the prestige, good pay, and always travelling. But, today this dream is in short supply. And the reason? Pilots are retiring faster than they can be replaced, training costs are sky-high and thanks to covid, once-aspiring aviators are now scared to venture onto the path of becoming a pilot. The result? Airlines are scrambling, passengers are paying more, and small cities are getting cut-off from the skies altogether.

This is a global issue. According to Boeing, the world will need more than 660,000 pilots over the next 20 years. And if you are wondering if this is a big number; I assure you it's a Humongous number.

If you already are a pilot, congratulations, you can use this pilot shortage as a great negotiating tool. How? Keep reading for that :)

So, sit tight and let's dive right in.

HOW DID WE GET HERE?

Well, aviation has always been a volatile industry. It is one of the first industries to be affected by any global pandemic. Do you remember the financial crisis of 2008? Well, I can't say I do, I was too busy learning to walk. But during the 2008 crisis, pilot hiring froze as air travel demand decreased.

And when you think everything is going right, Covid-19 hits and aviation nose dived. Airports looked like a zombie apocalypse hit them. Planes were grounded, and airlines faced huge losses. These air carriers had to make some brutal decisions: cut routes, furlough staff, and offer senior pilots early retirement. The idea was simple - cut the dead weight. The problem? When demand resurfaced, airlines realized that the dead weight they cut off was in fact very vital. Thousands of experienced pilots were gone, and you can't exactly go on Amazon and order yourself some experienced pilots, can you?

And to rub some salt on the wounds, with the FAA's 1500 hour requirement, the supply line clogged up faster than rush hour New York traffic.

THE ROOT CAUSES OF SHORTAGE

-THE PRICE OF ADMISSION

Want to be a pilot? Great, make sure you are Elon's son or daughter, and if not, just sell your kidney. Flight training costs anywhere from $80,000 to $120,000 in the US alone. That's before you can even earn a paycheck. Compare that to someone studying IT, Finance, or medicine; fields where you can get loans, scholarships, and government backing. Pilots, meanwhile are left signing checks wondering when will they receive a check.

It's not just the money, it's time also. By the time you log 1,500 hours, many of your friends are already managers, buying houses, and starting families. While you are still eating airport sandwiches.

With this being said, being a pilot is still a pretty good career but nowadays that decision isn't as easy as it used to be. I recently talked to an airline pilot and he mentioned, "In 2015, I did my pilot training and that time, the return on investment was pretty robust. But nowadays with increasing training costs and salaries being stagnant you have to reconsider your decision to make a career in aviation".

-RETIREMENT AT 65

Happy 65th birthday! Congratulations, you are no longer a pilot. Regulations force pilots to retire at 65. Because of this, a lot of experienced pilots are forced to retire creating a gap in the workforce which younger generation pilots cannot replace fast enough.

-REGIONAL AIRLINES: THE PILOT FACTORY

I am struggling to find the right word for what the legacy airlines are doing to the regional airlines. Give me a second. Right, it is 'poaching'. Big airlines like Delta, United, and American are poaching pilots from regional airlines like Mesa, Frontier and Spirit.

United chief executive Scott Kirby stated that the pilot shortage is driving up low-cost airlines’ labor expenses, closer to those of a traditional mainline carrier.

Imagine yourself as a pilot in a regional airline, you have two options: either stick with your regional airline or go to legacy carrier like United or Delta where pay is higher and prestige is incomparable. The choice is easy, right. Regional airlines are slowly becoming the training grounds for pilots where once they gain enough experience, some big airline is ready to pick them.

Regional airlines are being forced to roll out incentives to retain its pilots and hire some experienced flight crew, which ultimately trickles down to the ticket price and suddenly low-cost airlines don't feel low cost anymore. This shortage of pilots in regional carriers ultimately leads to cutting air services in smaller cities, with 161 airports losing more than one in four commercial flights between 2019 and 2022, according to the Regional Airline Association.

Suddenly these low-cost carriers find themselves facing a daunting question: Can we survive? (shoutout to Spirit)

GLOBAL OUTLOOK

Remember that saying? "It's a small world after all". In aviation, it's an even more smaller world. The whole world is in dire need of pilots, but the problem is there aren't enough pilots. Airlines from Sydney to San Francisco, Los Angeles to Laos are all facing this pilot shortage.

USA - Let's start with Murica. The US is already short tens of thousands of pilots, with regional airlines feeling the sharpest pinch. Some smaller cities have literally been cut off from the sky because airlines would rather deploy their limited pilots on more profitable routes. Translation: Enjoy a long drive while commuting to cities which otherwise would have been connected by air.

Europe - Let's move to the other side of Atlantic. easyJet and British Airways are locked in a battle, both offering enticing incentives to hire new pilots. Ryanair is actively expanding its pilot pool by training up to 450 new pilots over 4.5 years via a partnership with Berlin-based SKY4u Aviation.

Swiss (Switzerland's flag carrier) has already confirmed it will cancel around 1,400 flights due to ongoing pilot shortage.

Asia-Pacific - Asia-Pacific region is the hottest right now. China and India are expanding aviation at an exponential rate. Indian airlines like Akasa, IndiGo and Air India have placed a combined order of 1,120 planes in less than a year. In India, it's a show-off between airlines. Air India ordered 470 aircrafts from Airbus and Boeing, which soon was overshadowed by IndiGo's order of 500 aircrafts from Airbus.

China, on the other hand has its eyes set on world domination (in aviation). China's aircraft manufacturer COMAC is set to rival giants like Airbus and Boeing. According to Airbus, Chinese aviation is set to be the largest by 2043 overtaking that of USA's.

But you know what expansion in aviation needs? Pilots. Demand for pilots is highest in this region. Boeing has forecasted that the Asia-Pacific region will need 240,000 pilots in the next 20 years.

India has recently pressed for global code of conduct over pilot poaching by foreign airlines, but maybe they should worry more about what is happening domestically. Not so long ago, Air India poached nearly 10% of Akasa's pilots, all of which left without serving out notice periods.

The pilot demand is the most in Asia-Pacific region as they aim to become the connecting hub of aviation.

Middle East - Let's shift our focus to the sheikhs of Middle East. Behold the entry of the giants of the desert - Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Etihad. These airlines run fleets of wide-body aircrafts that crisscross the globe daily. But even their deep pockets can’t fully shield them from the shortage. According to Oliver Wyman, Middle East could face a shortage of 18,000 pilots by 2032.

CONCLUSION

To quote from Top Gun: Maverick: "It's not the plane, it's the pilot". But the problem is there aren't enough pilots. Running an airline without pilots is like running a Starbucks without baristas - it just doesn't work.

If you already are a pilot, congratulations you are hot right now (hot as in demand). Airlines are willing to throw anything at you just so you choose to fly with them. I am not much of a ‘taking-advantage-of-the-situation’ kind of guy, but hey, Covid did mess your careers up so why not be a little 'self-caring' for once.

The pilot shortage is reshaping aviation from top to bottom. Regional airlines are bleeding, legacy carriers are poaching, and globally every airline wants people who hold a pilot's license.

Maybe, one day tech might get so advanced that we won't need pilots to fly the plane. I mean, Airbus has already tested autonomous flight. But, as a passenger, do I feel comfortable with AI-Captain GPT 5000 flying my plane? Maybe not, and with the recent Boeing crashes, definitely not!

In the end, the skies remain open, but they’re cloudier than ever. If airlines and governments can work together, fund training, and rethink the profession, aviation might just climb out of this nosedive. If not? Well, don’t be surprised if your next flight is delayed with the announcement: “We regret to inform you… we don’t have a pilot.”

Thank you so much for reading this blog and if you did enjoy this, make sure to check out our other articles as well. Until we meet again, goodbye :)