As Airline Pilot Shortage Intensifies, Experts Meet At ERAU

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Daytona Beach, FL - The airline industry is reeling from a worldwide critical pilot shortage and will discuss possible solutions this week at the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University campus in Daytona Beach.

The two-day Pilot Supply & Demand Summit (PS&DS) begins on Monday and will tackle potential solutions to the global pilot shortage.

According to Dr. Dan Macchiarella, Dean of the College of Aviation at the Daytona Beach Campus of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, representatives from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), major airline pilot organizations, U.S. airlines, regional airlines, and other airline industry professionals will get together to "look at all the issues addressing pilot supply and demand in the United States specifically." They will also talk about technological and training solutions for educating pilots to "meet our nation's needs." The summit will open with a discussion on pilot supply and industry consequences.

Amongst airlines, regionals will be feeling the shortage more than most as they frequently lose their pilots to bigger airlines who can offer more monetarily, and provide more desirable destinations. The regulation of pilot education by the FAA and "increased air travel has created a shortage of first officers at regional airlines," says Macchiarella. Regional airlines will be forced to pull out of airports due to this shortage, and in some cases may go out of business. Regional carrier Republic Airways filed bankruptcy last month and blamed it on having to ground so many planes due to a pilot shortage.

Passengers will also be feeling the effects as demand for air travel continues to exceed the supply of airline pilots. According to Macchiarella, there will be more passengers on each plane and more flights will be grounded.

As bad as this situation is, it provides a great opportunity for students and those interested in flying. Airlines are desperately looking for more pilots, and Macchiarella says that graduates of Embry-Riddle "find jobs as soon as they're qualified."

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