Most of the airlines are making huge purchase orders to meet the upcoming demand. And with each new plane delivered to the airlines, it is going to need new pilots. Airbus, the manufacturer had 661 planes delivered in 2022 with a backlog of 7239 are still in backlog. According to IATA, the global aviation industry is expected to recover from the impact of COVID-19 pandemic by 2024, with a projected annual growth rate of 3.5% till 2039.
One of the questions that may come to your mind as an aspiring pilot is how many pilots job openings can be created for each new plane an airline company add to its fleet. Depending on several factors, such as the type of plane, the type of operation, and the duration of the routes the airline offers the plane might create as many as 10 to 30 pilot vacancies.
To give you a better idea, let’s try to understand how many pilots are needed for a plane in depth.
How many pilots per plane?
The answer to this question depends on several factors, such as the type of plane (narrow-body or wide-body), the length of the flight (short-haul or long-haul), the need for relief crews, the layover times, the distribution of reserve pilots, and other operational constraints.
As a rule of thumb, an airline would need about 5-6 crews per new plane added to fleet for short-haul flights, and about 10 crews per new plane added to its fleet for long-haul flights. A crew consists of two pilots: a captain and a first officer. So that means 6 X 2 = 12 pilots for short haul flights and 10 X 2 = 20 Pilots for long haul flights.
Sometimes, a third or fourth pilot may be required for very long flights that exceed 12 hours. A pilot is limited by regulation to 100 flight hours per month and 1000 flight hours per year. Before understanding how many pilots the airline will hire for each plane it purchases you might want to understand why a plane needs so many pilots, about which I have a blog here
To give you some concrete examples, let’s look at some averages from some well-known airlines:
| Airline | Total Pilots | Total Aircrafts | Average Pilots Per Aircraft |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Emirates |
4,300 |
258 |
16.7 |
|
Delta |
14,600
|
881 |
16.6 |
|
United |
12,491 |
763 |
16.4 |
|
Southwest |
9,614 |
748 |
12.9 |
|
SkyWest |
4,621 |
453 |
10.2 |
As you can see, there is some variation in the ratio of pilots to aircraft among different airlines, depending on their operations and strategies. Generally speaking, low-cost and regional airlines tend to have a lower ratio than full-service and international airlines, because they fly shorter routes with higher aircraft utilization and less need for augmented crews.
Let us try to understand the number of pilots required based on the type of planes as well to get a better idea.
Pilots for single aisle passenger planes
Single aisle passenger planes are the most common type of planes used by airlines for short to medium haul flights. These planes have a single aisle running through the cabin, and can carry up to 200 passengers. Some examples of single aisle passenger planes are Airbus A320 or Boeing 737.
According to some sources, single aisle passenger planes require between 3 and 5 crews per plane, so 3-5 first officers and 3-5 captains. This may vary depending on the average flight duration, airline growth, local legislation, and worldwide job market. For example, if the average flight duration is less than two hours, an airline may need only three crews per plane, but if the average flight duration is more than four hours, an airline may need five crews per plane.
The reason why single aisle passenger planes need more than one crew per plane is because pilots have to follow certain duty time limitations and rest requirements. These limitations and requirements are set by the regulators and the airlines to ensure the safety and well-being of the pilots and the passengers.
For example, in Canada, a pilot can fly up to eight hours in a day, but must have at least ten hours of rest before flying again. In addition, a pilot can fly up to 40 hours in a week, but must have at least two days off in a seven-day period.
Therefore, based on these limitations and requirements, an airline may need to hire anywhere from 3 to 5 pilots for each new single aisle passenger plane they purchase.
Pilots required for new dual aisle, longer range planes
Dual aisle, longer range planes are another type of planes used by airlines for medium to long haul flights. These planes have two aisles running through the cabin, and can carry up to 400 passengers. Some examples of dual aisle, longer range planes are Airbus A330 or Boeing 777.
According to some sources, dual aisle, longer range planes require at least double that of single aisle passenger planes, up to 12 crews per plane. This may vary depending on the same factors as above. For example, if the average flight duration is less than six hours, an airline may need only six crews per plane, but if the average flight duration is more than ten hours, an airline may need twelve crews per plane.
The reason why dual aisle, longer range planes need more than one crew per plane is because pilots have to follow more stringent duty time limitations and rest requirements for longer flights. These limitations and requirements are also set by the regulators and the airlines to ensure the safety and well-being of the pilots and the passengers.
For example, in Canada, a pilot can fly up to nine hours in a day for flights longer than eight hours, but must have at least twelve hours of rest before flying again. In addition, a pilot can fly up to 60 hours in a week for flights longer than eight hours, but must have at least three days off in a fourteen-day period.
Therefore, based on these limitations and requirements, an airline may need to hire anywhere from 6 to 12 pilots for each new dual aisle, longer range planes
What do the purchase orders of major airlines mean for aspiring pilots
The good news is that these numbers mean that there is a huge demand for pilots in the coming years, as these new planes will require more crews to operate them. According to CAE, a leading aviation training company, the world will need more than 260,000 new pilots over the next decade to meet the demand for air travel.
This means that there will be plenty of opportunities for aspiring pilots to join the aviation industry and pursue their dream career. According to one source, Air India seems to estimate it might require as many as 6500 new pilots by the time all their orders with airline manufactures are complete.
The bad news is that becoming a pilot is not easy or cheap. It requires a lot of dedication, passion, hard work, and investment. To become a commercial pilot, you need to obtain various licenses and ratings, such as a private pilot license (PPL), a commercial pilot license (CPL), an instrument rating (IR), a multi-engine rating (ME), and an airline transport pilot license (ATPL). You also need to accumulate a minimum number of flight hours, which can vary depending on the country and the airline you apply to. If you would like to read more about starting flight training, I have an introductory article about how to become a pilot you can read here
The cost of obtaining these qualifications can range from $50,000 to $200,000 or more, depending on where you train and how fast you progress. You may also need to take out loans or scholarships to finance your training. And even after you complete your training, you may not be able to land your dream job right away. You may have to start with low-paying jobs or work as an instructor or a regional pilot before you can move up to bigger airlines or planes.
But don’t let these challenges discourage you from following your passion. If you really love flying and have what it takes to become a pilot, then go for it! The rewards are worth it: you get to travel the world, see amazing places, meet interesting people, and enjoy the thrill of flying every day. You also get to be part of a dynamic and exciting industry that is constantly evolving and innovating.
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