Photo: Supplied / Matt Dwen
New aviation workforce research suggests 100 more pilots are needed each year than are currently being trained, and without government intervention the sector faces a massive shortfall.
The data from the Aviation Industry Association and the Ringa Hora Services Workforce Development Council focused specifically on the pilot and engineering workforce.
It found demand for domestic pilots is increasing by about 2 to 3 per cent per year, and this can't be met under the current training system.
The demand for pilots is being felt globally because many who lost their jobs during the Covid-19 pandemic haven't gone back.
The shortfall of pilots in North America alone is estimated at 17,000 currently - and expected to remain significant over the next decade.
Domestic pilot shortages could be exacerbated as the local workforce competes with that international demand.
The Aviation Industry Association wants the government to make policy changes in order to make it easier for students to train.
Simon Wallace is the chief executive of the Association and says this research is the hard evidence governments have been asking for. He speaks with Kathryn Ryan.
