Teamsters Local 1224 Comments on Government Accountability Office Report on the Pilot Shortage

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Feb 28, 2014, 05:26 ET

WASHINGTON, Feb. 28, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Airline Professionals Association, Teamsters Local 1224 today commended the United States Government Accountability Office's (GAO) on report findings contained in its February 2014 Aviation Workforce report, "Current and Future Availability of Airline Pilots."

"The GAO report confirms our members' experiences and what they have known for a long time," said Capt. Daniel C. Wells, president of Teamsters Local 1224.

The attainment of the necessary qualifications and experience that is required before you may be hired by any airline takes years and requires a huge financial investment. The airline industry, however, has not been worth the investment for many of its employees. Starting wages among the regional carriers are often so low that pilots cannot afford to support a family or repay the debt they acquired to become qualified for the position. This unfortunate reality often deters otherwise qualified pilots from seeking employment in the field and, additionally, it deters would-be aviators from entering the field altogether.

According to the report, 11 out of 12 regional airlines failed to meet their hiring targets for entry-level pilots last year. At the root of this issue is pay and working conditions. When pilots accept an entry-level position at a regional airline, they often do so with the intention of leaving as soon as they have acquired enough flight time to step into another position promising higher wages at a mainline airline. It creates a perpetual wheel of employee turnover within the regional airline industry. This trend also was identified in the GAO report.

"There is no shortage of Americans who are fully capable or who want to be airline pilots; there is no skills gap," Wells added. "But the industry wages, especially for entry-level positions, are often not worth the time and financial investment that is required to become a qualified pilot; a pay-gap is the reason we are seeing a shortage."

Some industry groups have argued that impending retirements or the regulation now requiring a pilot to have an "Airline Transport Pilot" license to fly for an airline are contributors to the pilot shortage. However, from a pilot's first-hand perspective, any regulation that enhances safety is critical. Airlines must be proactive and work together to enhance quality of life issues to attract would-be pilots to the industry.

The Teamsters and Local 1224 work every day to maintain and better the pay, working conditions, and professional prospects of its members. We stand ready to work with our members and their airline management teams to ensure their companies have an adequate supply of safe, professional airmen to sustain and grow their companies.

The Airline Professionals Association Teamsters Local 1224 is affiliated with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Airline Division and represents nearly 4000 members among ten air carriers that operate both passenger and cargo aircraft. Local 1224 is the certified bargaining unit that represents all flight crew members employed by ABX Air, Inc., Allegiant Air, Atlas Air, Inc., Brendan Airways, LLC, Horizon Air Industries, Inc., Hyannis Air Services, Inc., Kalitta Air, LLC, Miami Air International, Omni Air International, Silver Airways Corporation, and Southern Air, Inc.

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SOURCE Teamsters Local 1224