Why the airline industry is struggling?


Why the airline industry is struggling? Between the weather, shortage of planes, computer snafus, and pre-pandemic levels of customers, air travelers face a gauntlet of travel delays. A lack of pilots and air traffic controllers is adding to the high level of aggravation during this summer season.


Are airlines doing well right now?

Since the beginning of the year, airline stocks have signaled the industry is recovering from the Covid pandemic. Earnings reports suggest airlines are getting back to pre-pandemic levels, with air carriers seeing strong demand for air travel.


Why are airlines such a mess right now?

While many airlines blamed it entirely on weather conditions, much of the chaos can be attributed to staffing shortages. We are not back to pre-pandemic staffing levels on either the airline side or the government side, says Citi Analyst and airline expert Steve Trent.


How long will the airline shortage last?

Consulting firm Oliver Wyman estimates that despite efforts to close the gap, airlines in North America will face a shortage of nearly 30,000 pilots by 2032. The supply of new pilots will grow, but not enough to offset a continuing wave of retirements, the consultant says. There is cause for hope, however.


Why is EasyJet so cheap?

Both Ryanair and EasyJet uniquely use one genre of plane, 737 and a320 family respectively. All employees: pilots, mechanics, flight staff etc therefore solely require training for that one vehicle. Both training costs and even more valuable – the currency of the low-cost – time, is drastically saved.


What is the most profitable airline in Europe?

Lufthansa is Europe's largest airline group by revenue. IAG is the most profitable and lowest cost network airline group in Western Europe (i.e. excluding Turkish).


Will pilots be needed in the future?

Despite the short-term decline in the number of active pilots, analysis shows that the civil aviation industry will require more than 260,000 new pilots over the next decade. As air travel resumes progressively over the next several years, the industry will experience upward mandatory retirement and attrition rates.


What are the top five frustrations in aviation today?

Describe each. What are additional areas of debate? Is this right. The top five frustrations impacting aviation today are fuel and oil; pollution control; personnel cutbacks; global economic woes, and resurring safety lapses.


What are the challenges of the airline industry in 2023?

A scarcity of air traffic control staff is also likely to be a problem in 2023, Walsh said. “The challenges we expect to see in the short term are outside of our control, and they principally relate to shortages, in resources in air traffic control,” Walsh said.


What is the 1500 hour rule?

A pillar of these reforms is the “1,500 Hour Rule” which requires first officers, also known as co-pilots, to have a minimum of 1,500 hours of flight training time. Since this rule was implemented in 2012, our skies have never been safer.


Will AI replace pilots?

Most likely not, as the pilot was always meant to be actively involved in flying operations.


Do airline pilots have a future?

Job Outlook
Overall employment of airline and commercial pilots is projected to grow 6 percent from 2021 to 2031, about as fast as the average for all occupations. About 18,100 openings for airline and commercial pilots are projected each year, on average, over the decade.