Between 2012 and 2019, an average of 1,116 commercial pilot licences were awarded annually — last year, only 238 were handed out
Further steps are required to become an airline pilot, as holders of commercial pilots’ licences must still undergo additional training and flying time before they can receive their Airline Transport Pilot Licence.
During the worst days of the pandemic, thousands of pilots were laid off, furloughed or took early retirement. Though the industry is recovering, it could take some time before young people have the confidence to rush back into flight schools, said Tim Perry, president of the Canadian division of the Air Line Pilots Association, the union that represents pilots at a number of Canadian airlines including WestJet and Transat.
Perry said he thinks enrolment in flight schools will eventually rebound to reflect the airline industry’s post-COVID recovery. That means Canada needs to train even more pilots, and even a return to the pre-COVID status quo won’t be enough. Experts say one problem with that is the skyrocketing cost of training. It costs upwards of $100,000 to become a commercial pilot in 2023, more than double what it cost 20 years ago.
Last week, vacation airline Sunwing blamed its spate of holiday season flight disruptions and cancellations in part on a pilot shortage, telling the federal transport committee that the government’s decision to deny the airline’s recent application to hire 63 temporary foreign workers for pilot roles impacted its ability to deliver service.Article content
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Number of commercial pilot licences issued in Canada has collapsed since 2019The number of commercial pilot licences issued in Canada has declined by more than 80 per cent since 2019, even as aviation experts warn of an ever-growing labour shortage that threatens to disrupt Canada's airline industry. Pilot licences awarded each year averaged 1,116 licences annually between the years 2012 and 2019.
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