An issue that has been in the makings for quite some time now is Crew Shortages. Two main factors are contributing to this:
1) Airlines are retiring a large quantity of pilots who have hit mandatory retirement age, and
2) Airlines worldwide are growing and need more pilots to fill the gap created by their expansion in addition to replacing the retiring pilots.
Airline piloting jobs are more stable than a typical ad hoc charter position and currently pay very well, so the position is attractive to pilots on the private side who already have enough experience to be considered for these roles. Because it takes years to train to pilot jets, airlines are looking to the private pilots to join their companies.
This crew shortage is a problem especially in Europe where the private industry is not as large as somewhere like the United States. The pilot pool is more limited and therefore feels this decrease of available crew severely. Charter and private operators alike are sharing this struggle.
A top discussion we have with our clients right now when discussing their future operation and ownership is how they plan on crewing their aircraft. If you hire three full-time pilots, this is not really an issue for you because you will always have someone available to fly. However, if you decide to only hire one full-time pilot and rely on contract crew for the others, you may experience times when there is not crew available for you when you need it.
Put serious consideration into how you will crew your jet.
The easiest solution for an owner is to pay a higher monthly cost to have three full-time pilots available when you need and want to fly. Another option is to consider an operator who already has crew on their certificate that you can use. (We do not suggest using this as the only basis for selecting an operator – someone you trust and who will take care of your interests is always number 1 – see our blog on How to Choose an Operator) And of course, you could only hire 1 full-time pilot and hope that contract pilots are available when you need them. Just understand with this last option, there will be times when pilots will not be available and you will have to amend your plans to suit their schedule.
Jet ownership should be a means of making your life easier, but right now crew availability is a real issue affecting ownership and usage that has to be considered.
Articles are written from real world experience by Colibri Aircraft’s individuals. If you have any questions or comments about the topic of this blog, please feel free to contact us at enquiries@colibriaircraft.com
