Although the market for charter and fractional ownership is still strong in the U.S., operators might soon face a shortage of qualified pilots and maintenance technicians.
“What comes with the demand for aircraft is a demand for…pilots,” said Napo Hohn, CEO of PrivatAir. “But there are only so many 4,500- to 5,000-hour pilots on the market for an ever increasing number of aircraft. This is going to be one of the big challenges for the industry.”
Bob Seidel, senior vice president and general manager of the U.S. segment of Jet Aviation Business Jets, said the problem will be most evident within the next five to 10 years as baby boomers and former military pilots retire. “There isn’t enough backfilling in this industry of fresh young pilots,” he said. “Over the next five years, there won’t be enough pilots to fly these airplanes or enough technicians to maintain them. There aren’t enough people going into school to do those things.”
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