Pilot Shortage Affecting Regional Airlines

Regional airlines and regional airports are feeling the biggest impact from a nationwide pilot shortage.

The Regional Airline Association has issued a call to action for congress and the Federal Aviation Administration to fix it.

On average, it costs about $100,000 for a pilot to get certified, and once they do, there stepping into entry level jobs which pay around $20,000 a year, so many pilots are not entering the industry because they say it’s not worth it.

Becoming a pilot used to be a dream for many young boys but those dreams aren’t taking flight as easily nowadays.

Training is expensive and salaries are low, but for Eric Burke, a pilot of 20 years, the sacrifices were worth it to fulfill those childhood dreams.

Burke was a former regional airline pilot with Skywest and United.

“Once you got done with college it’s not like you can go to a regional airline even. You still have to build flight hours, doing Grand Canyon tours or whatever it takes to build hours to even get hired by someone like Skywest,” said Burke.

A life up in the air also comes with a price.

“Going through that training you spend a lot of time away from the family and even when you do get a job there is still that time element that you are away,” said Burke.

The airline hardest hit by pilot shortages is Skywest which is the largest carrier at Idaho Falls Regional Airport.

“Those are about 60 percent of our flights,” said airport director Craig Davis.

Davis says he’s been reassured by airlines operating Skywest that contracts have been put in place with extra pilots who can fill-in when needed.

As for passengers here the affect will be minimal.

“Maybe an an occasional cancelled flight or delayed flight,” said Davis.

More than 500 million people fly every year, putting their lives in the hands of people like Burke. Now aviation is relying on young pilots who’ll make the sacrifices for an office in the sky.

“It’s a lot of fun. Some of the most spectacular views I’ve seen are from the cockpit of an airplane,” said Burke.

Regional airlines operate more than half of the nations commercial schedule with 13,000 flights everyday.

Nearly 70 percent of airports in the United States rely exclusively on regional airlines.