More than half of the world’s airline pilots, including those in Nigeria, are no longer flying airplanes, according to the first worldwide survey of the profession since the outbreak of the COVID – 19 pandemic.
The pandemic, according to the survey, has pushed pilots to consider other ways and means of earning a living.
The Pilot Survey 2021 – carried out by specialist aviation and pilot recruitment agency, GOOSE, with aviation publisher FlightGlobal, captured the devastating effect COVID-19 has had on airline pilots, with 30 per cent describing themselves as currently unemployed, and a further 17 per cent furloughed.
Six per cent of the affected pilots said they are employed in aviation in non-flying roles.
Another four per cent said they are working, but in different industries, leaving just 43 per cent of pilots doing the job they trained for.
The poll of almost 2,600 flight crew painted a picture of a community devastated economically and psychologically by the pandemic.
Of those who identify as unemployed, two thirds said they are actively looking for new positions as pilots. In normal times, a high number of job-seekers might indicate a buoyant jobs market. However, the opposite is the case.
Only three per cent are currently in an interview process, and more than eight in 10 said they would happily take a pay cut for a new cockpit opportunity.
The online report comes 12 months after a previous survey by GOOSE and FlightGlobal revealed that pilots, though admitting occasional challenges of stress and achieving a better work-life balance, were enjoying a strong global demand for their services.
The latest survey, carried out during October 2020, polled pilots flying in every region of the world.
