CBC - A shortage of pilots is making travel chaos in Canada even worse

[Jester123]

https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/pilot- ... -1.6728731

From pandemic-related travel restrictions to extreme weather events, Canada's travel industry has navigated an unprecedented amount of uncertainty of late. And now, just as demand for travel has returned to its 2019 level, airlines are navigating their next patch of turbulence: a lack of qualified pilots.

According to Transport Canada, in a typical pre-pandemic year, roughly 1,100 pilot licences were issued. When complemented by foreign-trained pilots, that was generally more than enough to satisfy the needs of carriers as large as WestJet and Air Canada, all the way down to regional, charter and cargo airlines.

But as demand for flying collapsed in 2020, so did the number of new pilots getting their paperwork. Government data shows less than 500 licences were awarded in 2020, a figure that fell to less than 300 in 2021 and just 238 last year.

The department told CBC News in a statement that while labour shortages in the airline sector has been "identified as a priority area for action," there are no current plans to loosen regulations. But the agency says it's doing what it can to "increase the competitiveness of the Canadian flight training industry as well as improve the viability of aviation careers to address any shortages."

Whatever changes do come will do little to help anyone in the short term, and travellers are already seeing the impact of the industry's current labour crunch.

Staff shortages were a factor in charter airline Sunwing's cancellation of 67 flights over the last two weeks of December, along with extreme weather.

Salaries for experienced pilots generally go up faster and higher at the major airlines than they do at most others, they are so typically able to have their pick among those available. That causes shortages just about everywhere else.

The head of the Air Transport Association of Canada says it's a problem that had been brewing for many years, even before the pandemic.

"We haven't had enough pilots for a long time, mostly at the regional level," John McKenna said.

Long, expensive process
Getting a commercial licence is the last step in a multi-year process of becoming a pilot, a journey that can cost tens of thousands of dollars and take years.

In Canada, for many that journey ends with a dream job at either WestJet or Air Canada, but because of the expense and time commitment of training a new pilot, the major airlines often hire top staff from smaller carriers instead of methodically developing their own.

"Their fishing grounds is the regional carriers. And the regional carriers go down to the smaller carriers, air taxi groups … those levels have been hurting for many years," McKenna said.

Canada's two biggest airlines told CBC News in emailed statements that while there is indeed a higher than normal demand for pilots right now, both of them are managing to meet their needs.

"As a large global carrier operating the most modern, largest aircraft, we are a very desirable destination for talented pilots," AIr Canada said. "As a result, we are able to attract pilots as required."

"We have and continue to responsibly manage and plan our operations to meet the anticipated demand of our guests and are fully staffed across our network to support our operation," WestJet said.

That's not the case for everyone else. Small airlines often have so few pilots on staff that it doesn't take the loss of very many to stop planes from flying.

In the fall, Sunwing applied to bring in more than 60 temporary foreign workers to meet demand for pilots, but that application was rejected, which exacerbated the chaos seen at the end of 2022. The airline has since cancelled almost all flights out of Saskatchewan and most out of Manitoba for the rest of the winter travel season.

It's not just the big boys gobbling up all the qualified pilots, either. Many simply left the profession during the pandemic.

"Two years ago, to the day, literally almost every pilot [was] out of work," says Dave Boston, a pilot with 25 years experience who's also the man behind Edmonton-based aviation job board, Pilot Career Centre.

Faced with furloughs and layoffs at airlines big and small, many pilots tried to wait it out, but many simply moved on, he told CBC News in an interview.

"Many who had businesses or other interests, after maybe six months to a year, had to put food on the table, and they left the industry," Boston said.

For the pilots who are left, headhunting is the new normal. He says he hears from desperate airlines every day, because they either can't find the staff, or just lost yet another one. "It's very common for pilots, unfortunately, to work there for six months [then] get a surprise interview that they don't expect to get, and then they're gone," he said.

"It's a real challenge right now."

One person hoping to meet that challenge is Zona Savic, a soon-to-be graduate of one of Canada's premier aviation schools, Seneca College in Peterborough, Ont.

While she had planned to go into engineering, she joined the Air Cadets while in high school, and was quickly bitten by the aviation bug.

"I just knew from the moment that I was in that plane, this is what I was going to do," she told CBC News in an interview.

She's on track to get her pilot's licence soon, and while she may do additional training to become an instructor herself, she says it's a load off her mind to know that she won't have to worry about finding a job.

And even better for the industry, she has no qualms about working her way up at smaller carriers flying niche, remote routes.

" I just love the feeling of flying, so if that's what I'm doing, I don't really care if I'm in Paris, or in Nunavut," she says. "Anything is good for me, as long as I get to experience that."

[Inverted2]

No mention of the lousy pay? Not to mention unpaid time away from family sitting in hotels or deadheading in middle seats in economy. Plus your job can be gone in the blink of an eye when some government bureaucrats decide there should be another lockdown over a cold.

[ellinas]

No mention of the lousy pay? Not to mention unpaid time away from family sitting in hotels or deadheading in middle seats in economy. Plus your job can be gone in the blink of an eye when some government bureaucrats decide there should be another lockdown over a cold.

So true!
But I thought from others there is no shortage, just a shortage of qualified pilots. Isn’t everyone saying there are so many 250 hour pilots that apply but don’t get jobs.
Confusing article.

[rando]

The radical left Trudeau doesn’t think we have a supply problem, he thinks we have a demand problem.

Why do all these people want to fly, why do they want healthcare, why do they want homes? If everyone would just stop wanting things we would have no problem…. Own nothing, be happy derp derp.

He is doing a pretty good job at eroding the middle class, and making things very expensive, that’s for sure. If you won’t comply with his owning nothing being happy circle jerk, he will just price you out one average Canadian at a time. You get what you vote for Canada.

[Donald]

Do those new license numbers reflect the decline of foreign students training in Canada, or the paperwork delays for applicants?

[yepivedonethat]

It's a staff written article by the state sponsored media outlet known as the CBC. It's a double negative attempt at shifting blame away from Justin Trudeau when the JT has nothing to do with the current job market for drivers. This current situation has been brewing for the last 15+ years fueled by greed and public stupidity.

Transport Canada banned double negative questions years ago. Why can't the media self regulate this kind of schlock reporting?

[DanWEC]

Yet another article that doesn't address the only actual reason there's a shortage. ROI. These are like broken records.

[McKinley]

This article is absolutely out of touch with reality.

-ramp to air at low pay for an indefinite period of time with no guarantee of a job.
-job security is next to non-existent
- unions who are driving pay down
-an incompetent regulator ( up to 36 months for a license at this point )
-industry culture that rewards subservience ( we’re all responsible to a degree)
-astronomical training costs.
-AC flat pay
-cancer risk for high altitude pilots

I could keep going….

By contrast: (non- aviation industry I’m working in)

-entry level pay ( 300+ -500 per day)
-up to 1000 a day once trained
-training costs are easily recuperated
-hard work is rewarded
-mentorship / on the job training
-boss does the same jobs I do ( even the shitty ones)
-working for less / for free makes you a scab
-I’m actually treated with respect/ appreciated.
-I work outside
-significant job security

[cdnavater]

This article is absolutely out of touch with reality.

-ramp to air at low pay for an indefinite period of time with no guarantee of a job.
-job security is next to non-existent
- unions who are driving pay down
-an incompetent regulator ( up to 36 months for a license at this point )
-industry culture that rewards subservience ( we’re all responsible to a degree)
-astronomical training costs.
-AC flat pay
-cancer risk for high altitude pilots

I could keep going….

By contrast: (non- aviation industry I’m working in)

-entry level pay ( 300+ -500 per day)
-up to 1000 a day once trained
-training costs are easily recuperated
-hard work is rewarded
-mentorship / on the job training
-boss does the same jobs I do ( even the shitty ones)
-working for less / for free makes you a scab
-I’m actually treated with respect/ appreciated.
-I work outside
-significant job security

Ok, I’ll bite, what happens to your non aviation industry job when a bunch of wannabe pilots decide to join you and now they’re all all competing for an insufficient amount of jobs, I’ll tell you.
Someone will offer to work for less and pay their own training and drive your wages down and when companies figure this out they exploit that.
Also, you will and I guarantee this, eventually get sick of working outdoors. Your 1000 dollars per day is dependent on you showing up for work I assume, even in the shittiest weather. Get back to us in 10 years how much you are still enjoying your job. How about 20 years, when you’re in your forties, still enjoying the damp fall weather? Doubt it!
I almost went the trades route and the first winter of my apprenticeship was enough for me to reevaluate, despite all the crap with the aviation industry, I still don’t regret it

[CL-Skadoo!]

The average person still thinks our job is pretty cool. They don’t see what we go through to get here, but let’s be honest, if we could bring our working conditions up to even a fraction of those in the US, the industry would start to fill back in pretty fast. I landed in a high pay, great schedule position which for me justifies every ounce of sacrifice to get here. That should be the the standard for our industry, not reserved for a handful of people that caught a lucky break.

[Ash Ketchum]

I think its good that the aviation industry is finally getting news coverage regarding the pilot shortage. The general public will put pressure on airlines to hire more pilots which will in turn result in more pay and bidding wars for us as the pool of experienced pilots in this country is below what is required to fully staff operations.

[8895]

I think its good that the aviation industry is finally getting news coverage regarding the pilot shortage. The general public will put pressure on airlines to hire more pilots which will in turn result in more pay and bidding wars for us as the pool of experienced pilots in this country is below what is required to fully staff operations.

Careful, there’s a reason ALPA south of the border has so fiercely fought the narrative of there being a pilot shortage, and that’s because they know that if the narrative takes over then the government might open the floodgates to foreigners to come in and fill jobs and saturate the labour market, thus taking away leverage that they’ve been able to use to make such great contractual gains.

We already have this problem here as the access to labour for companies is far too easy with the amount of people currently flowing into the country. The win on stopping TFW’s with sunwing is the only step in the right direction I can remember on this issue up here.

There’s a wage shortage, not a labour shortage. That needs to be the narrative.

[Ash Ketchum]

I think its good that the aviation industry is finally getting news coverage regarding the pilot shortage. The general public will put pressure on airlines to hire more pilots which will in turn result in more pay and bidding wars for us as the pool of experienced pilots in this country is below what is required to fully staff operations.

Careful, there’s a reason ALPA south of the border has so fiercely fought the narrative of there being a pilot shortage, and that’s because they know that if the narrative takes over then the government might open the floodgates to foreigners to come in and fill jobs and saturate the labour market, thus taking away leverage that they’ve been able to use to make such great contractual gains.

We already have this problem here as the access to labour for companies is far too easy with the amount of people currently flowing into the country. The win on stopping TFW’s with sunwing is the only step in the right direction I can remember on this issue up here.

There’s a wage shortage, not a labour shortage. That needs to be the narrative.

Sure, that's true although I can't imagine too many foreign pilots are interested in working in Canada at the moment when they see the high cost of living and low wages on offer. May as well live in a second/third world country with low cost of living and make the same money.

[garfield]

A shortage?

I wonder why..!

You pay 100k to get your licences and after a few years of eating sh** you will finaly land an airline job in YYZ at 40k/year.

[fish4life]

I think its good that the aviation industry is finally getting news coverage regarding the pilot shortage. The general public will put pressure on airlines to hire more pilots which will in turn result in more pay and bidding wars for us as the pool of experienced pilots in this country is below what is required to fully staff operations.

Careful, there’s a reason ALPA south of the border has so fiercely fought the narrative of there being a pilot shortage, and that’s because they know that if the narrative takes over then the government might open the floodgates to foreigners to come in and fill jobs and saturate the labour market, thus taking away leverage that they’ve been able to use to make such great contractual gains.

We already have this problem here as the access to labour for companies is far too easy with the amount of people currently flowing into the country. The win on stopping TFW’s with sunwing is the only step in the right direction I can remember on this issue up here.

There’s a wage shortage, not a labour shortage. That needs to be the narrative.

Sure, that's true although I can't imagine too many foreign pilots are interested in working in Canada at the moment when they see the high cost of living and low wages on offer. May as well live in a second/third world country with low cost of living and make the same money.

I think you underestimate how desirable canada is to live, you have highly educated people leaving countries like India for low paying jobs here to get to canada

[rookiepilot]

I think its good that the aviation industry is finally getting news coverage regarding the pilot shortage. The general public will put pressure on airlines to hire more pilots which will in turn result in more pay and bidding wars for us as the pool of experienced pilots in this country is below what is required to fully staff operations.

I just fly foreign airlines now whenever possible.

Better in every single respect one can think of.

I will not support Canadian businesses that don't give a sh-- about their customers, from the top right down to the front line staff.

[digits_]

I think you underestimate how desirable canada is to live, you have highly educated people leaving countries like India for low paying jobs here to get to canada

That's partially true, but in a lot of those countries pilot licenses are still significantly more expensive to acquire than an engineering or doctor degree.

Return on investment is an important factor when considering migration.

I don't see anyone getting a pilot degree just to make immigration easier. It's too expensive for that.

[Tbayer2021]

So are any of you going to contact CBC or the journalist to relay all these points? Or just keep bitching about it on Avcanada?

[genetic jack hammer]

So are any of you going to contact CBC or the journalist to relay all these points? Or just keep bitching about it on Avcanada?

I do believe that Capt Tim Perry, ALPA Canada President did contact CTV about this.There's a screen shot, on the Alpa Canada Instagram page, with Capt Perry talking to a reporter. To quote Capt Perry "no airline that compensates their pilots properly need to go outside of the country to hire temporary foreign pilots". It's a step in the right direction.

[Inverted2]

I think you underestimate how desirable canada is to live, you have highly educated people leaving countries like India for low paying jobs here to get to canada

That's partially true, but in a lot of those countries pilot licenses are still significantly more expensive to acquire than an engineering or doctor degree.

Return on investment is an important factor when considering migration.

I don't see anyone getting a pilot degree just to make immigration easier. It's too expensive for that.

Lots of fraudulent pilot licences out of India a few years back I remember.