CAE Eyes Looming Middle East Pilot Shortage

Middle East operators will need about 1,500 new pilots to fly business aircraft in the Gulf States market across the next decade, based on forecasts by training provider CAE and avionics and engine manufacturer Honeywell.CAE (Booth 427) estimates replacement pilots due to attrition at 8 percent per year 4 percent for retirements and 4 percent from airline poaching of bizjet crew members. “In the business sector, replacements due to retirement are exacerbated by a net loss of business jet pilots who leave their jobs to join airlines,” said Nick Leontidis, CAE’s group president, Civil Aviation Training Solutions. In the Middle East, with a current fleet of about 450 bizjets, that translates to 900 replacement pilots. In addition, the Middle East and Africa market are expected to acquire about 300 new aircraft across the decade, 4 percent of the worldwide market of 7,700, according to Honeywell’s forecast, adding another 600 crew.