There is an urgent need to consider how pilot training is funded, including introducing a student loan-style scheme, to avoid a potential shortage of UK pilots, a report commissioned by the Department for Transport has recommended.
The total cost of attaining an air transport pilot licence or a multi-pilot licence in the UK can reach £150,000, which is a major barrier to entering the profession, limiting the talent pool and hampering diversity, the report from transport consultancies Systra and Northpoint suggests.
It says many new cadets have to rely on loans or gifts from their families to finance their training, while others are forced to use their savings or take on substantial debt to fund themselves.
Pilot training and apprenticeships
Some have had to re-mortgage their family homes in order to pay for pilot training.
The cost of training, coupled with other issues including an ageing pilot profession and flight school capacity, could lead to a chronic shortage of UK pilots, the report says. Consequently, by 2026, the required supply of pilots could be 64% higher than the number that joined the profession in 2021, it claims.
Other current funding methods include grant funding for those who already trained as a pilot in the military, the first officer apprenticeship – although the report says this is not currently utilised by airlines or training providers – and training through universities.
The Options for addressing the cost of pilot training report makes several recommendations for alternative funding methods or policies for pilot training, including:
- government-funded grants and student-loan style schemes, with specific selection criteria to encourage high-calibre candidates from under-represented groups
- zero-rating VAT for pilot training fees
- airline-funded scholarships and incentives
- third party-funded scholarships.
It also recommends addressing some of the issues associated with the first officer apprenticeship, including allowing employers to bridge the current funding gap of around £70,000 and changing the content and structure of the apprenticeship to offer more flexibility.
The government should also make the transfer between military and commercial flying easier once military
obligations have been met, by developing specially designed transition courses, the report says.
The British Airline Pilots Association (Balpa) said the government needed to tackle the threat of a shortage of commercial pilots with funding and specific policies that allow those from a wider range of socio-economic backgrounds enter the profession.
Balpa interim general secretary Miranda Rackley said: “This report recognises what BALPA has been highlighting for years: That the lack of diversity in the pilot workforce cannot be addressed without tackling the financial barriers to entry to the profession.
“We are pleased the government has acknowledged this and now hope they will act swiftly to remove the financial barriers by putting in place policies and funding that will support the opening up of the profession to all those who have the aptitude but not ability to pay.”
Danni Parker, a Balpa member and aspiring commercial pilot, said: “The abrupt reality of financing my dream career hit at the same point when my passion for aviation intensified: my first flying lesson.
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“Everyone in the industry is keen to address the lack of social mobility and diversity. Pilot training must become accessible by opening up funding routes, the lack of which currently denies many people the opportunity to ever reach the flight deck. Everyone deserves the chance to achieve and realise their dream careers regardless of their circumstances.“
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