An article in Aviation Week sheds light on efforts to recruit a new generation of pilots into the aviation industry.

Written by Bill Carey, Sean Broderick, Helen Massy-Beresford, Thierry Dubois and Adrian Schofield, the article provides a thorough review of programs and opportunities to recruit new pilots.

Key takeaways include:

• Boeing predicts worldwide demand for 790,000 pilots, including 635,000 airline pilots, over the next 20 years—double the current workforce.
• Major U.S. airlines do not have a pilot-supply problem today, but figures suggest a looming pilot supply-chain deficiency.
• The Big Four U.S. carriers plus Alaska Airlines and JetBlue Airways will see nearly 23,000 pilots retire by 2026.
• Speakers at an FAA-sponsored symposium on the aviation workforce at Reagan Washington National Airport in September described an industry that supports good careers but presents structural impediments to entry. The cost of education leading to a job as a pilot with a major airline was often raised as a barrier, and a shortage of certified flight instructors (CFI) as a complicating factor.
• Financial institutions and government can do more to increase access to financial resources for aspiring pilots and mechanics through personal credits, student loans or outright grants.
• Another point of consensus among experts is that airlines should reach out to potential pilots among women and minorities, in rural and underserved communities.
• The industry’s response across a broad front has instilled confidence that the impending talent gap can be resolved.

Click here to read the entire article.