Almost 50% of commercial airline workers will retire in the next 15 years, the chief executive of the Regional Airline Association said this spring. But a North Texas aviation school is working to train the next generation of pilots and maintenance workers.
Faye Malarkey Black of the RAA testified before the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and said regional carriers were dealing with a "devastating pilot shortage" while demand spiked.
The U.S. Aviation Academy, which has campuses in Denton and San Marcos, is trying to combat that shortage.
"We teach both pilots and mechanics career-oriented courses to move them either into the airline as a pilot or into the airline as a mechanic or aircraft technician," Chief Development Officer Scott Sykes said.
Sykes said the academy had its biggest class of pilots ever this year with 70 students.
Earlier this year, Spirit Airlines, which has a crew base at DFW Airport, started working with the U.S. Aviation Academy. Spirit now has 33 departures from DFW daily.
Sykes said the U.S. Aviation Academy also works with Southwest Airlines' and American Airlines' regional carriers. He said regional carriers like Envoy, Piedmont, and PSA have increased pay as they seek pilots.
"It's changed dramatically over the last few years," he said. "Airlines have really stepped up their pay. There's really been no better time on both the pilot and technician side."
Sykes said airlines were also struggling to find mechanics.
"All the airlines are desperate for mechanics. We, ourselves, use a lot of mechanics to keep up our flight school aircraft, and we've increased our mechanic pay by close to 30% this year," he said.
Sykes said the U.S. Aviation Academy's classes for mechanics were growing, but the organization still has space there.
"As a mechanic, you can work on the line at an airline or you can work in general aviation fixing smaller planes like ours," he said. "You could go to an engine shop and be the one repairing engines in an air-conditioned warehouse."
Sykes said training is changing as new technology comes on the market. He says the U.S. Aviation Academy was also preparing for the use of electric aircraft that will take off and land vertically.
"As a pilot, you'll continue to get type-rated in different aircraft as you move up through the line to bigger and bigger planes," he says. "For mechanics, you'll continually go through training to make you a better mechanic and learn new systems."
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