By Sean Costello | April 15, 2024
Estimated reading time 1 minute, 24 seconds.
Just as real estate can be a notoriously unbalanced market, where supply and demand continuously shift the balance of power between buyers and sellers, so too can the realm of commercial aviation. In 2024, and it seems for the foreseeable future, it’s safe to say that we’re now deep within a “pilot’s market,” with hiring teams needing to get creative to attract and retain their ranks.
Hot on the heels of the multi-year Covid-19 pandemic — a tumultuous time when market realities forced thousands of otherwise well-performing and experienced pilots out from their flight decks and into alternate careers — air traffic has now returned to our skies, with a vengeance. The resulting demand for licensed commercial pilots, in addition to licensed ground support specialists, is high — very high.
In the case of Toronto-based Porter Airlines, for example, success and growth in operations has led to a significant route and fleet expansion plan, calling for almost 70 per cent more pilot positions to be filled. During recent interviews with Skies, Porter representatives shared that in support of operating their two fleets, the Dash 8-400 and Embraer E195-E2, plans for 2024 include hiring approximately 450 additional pilots: 150 on the Dash 8 platform, and 300 for the E195-E2 jets. This will augment their existing cadre of approximately 650 pilots.
Continue reading this article in the February/March 2024 issue of Skies magazine.
