Top 4 programs aimed at retaining cargo pilots

In recent years, the aviation and logistics industries have become increasingly concerned about a scarcity of one of the major ingredients that oils the flow of the supply chain, the essential human resource fueling international transportation of goods: the pilots themselves.

The growing shortage is being caused by a combination of factors. One major catalyst was the crash of Colgan Air Flight 3407 in 2009, which caused the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to raise the flying hours required from a commercial pilot’s license of 250 to an airline transport pilot license (ATP) of 1,500.

The huge increase in the cost to obtain a the proper licensing caused the number of aspiring pilots to shrink, which was first felt first by smaller airlines, but has begun to affect even the biggest carriers. The problem is being exacerbated by a retiring generation of senior pilots and in increase an the popularity of express e-commerce traffic.

This month, Air Cargo World sought to explore what some of the industry’s major carriers are doing to address the shortage to keep up with the continued strong demand for airfreight. Click through our list to find out what FedEx, UPS, Atlas and Emirates have done to broach the issue.