Aspiring pilots run out of sky as pandemic storm hits

With commercial aviation at a standstill, would-be pilots fear for their future.

PETALING JAYA: Travel restrictions and closed borders have put the chocks on the career prospects of Malaysia’s future pilots, with graduates-to-be staring at a job-starved industry and prospective students forced to question a career in flying.

Azharuddin Abdul Rahman, chairman of Layang Layang Flying Academy says the school has seen a drop in applications at both its centres.

Enrolment has fallen 30% at its Kota Kinabalu centre and by 15% in Ipoh. However he notes that the current students are staying put.

Azharuddin Abdul Rahman is chairman of a flying academy

He feels the situation is “not that bad considering the impact of Covid-19 on the industry as a whole,” and he has yet to hear of any flight training schools closing down.

However, with the vast majority of flights grounded for the time being, commercial flight jobs are scarce for pilots vying to enter the industry during the pandemic.

The head of another of Malaysia’s flight academies, who asked not to be named, says that while the school is still receiving applications, he is not optimistic. “We don’t know how long it’s going to be before people say ‘hang on, I’m not going to spend that sort of money to get a licence if there are no jobs at the end of it’.”

Those who are close to earning their commercial pilot licence have been left with a difficult decision, and can only see a bleak picture ahead, he says.

Air cargo is an alternative, says Azharuddin

“They know what the situation is at the moment, and they’re going to have to deal with that one way or the other. Do they change their career even though they now have a licence, or do they wait it out and hope jobs (open up) later on?

“I don’t think (the industry) is going to bounce back just like that,” he says, citing his own sources, adding that “it’s going to take several years (for the industry) to sort itself out.”

Azharuddin is more optimistic about the prospects for pilots further ahead, and hopes that the recovery of the airlines aligns with the 24 months it takes to attain a pilot’s licence so that current students will graduate into a healthy industry.

“I would not discourage them, but they must be aware of the industry situation,” he says, adding that “if you are patient enough, good enough and if you show good results in training, you’ll be an asset for airlines.”

Airlines are always “succession planning” he says, which means they will always need new pilots to replace those reaching retirement age.

For those itching to find piloting jobs before airlines begin hiring, Azharuddin suggests looking into air cargo services, as freight companies need a healthy stock of pilots to match their volume and schedule, which has been boosted by global curfews and movement restrictions pushing many to shop online. - FMT