In every crisis, there is an opportunity. The latest woes of flag carrier Philippine Airlines highlight the global demand for pilots, with airline companies often poaching from each other. This is a demand in the job market that Filipinos can fill. English proficiency, the edge enjoyed in the international job market by Filipinos over other foreigners who are not native English speakers, can also be an advantage for pilots. English is the language of international aviation, and understanding the language is crucial in piloting aircraft.
The demand for pilots is so big that even the Philippine Air Force is losing its personnel to private airline companies. Graduates of the Philippine Military Academy who join the Air Force leave military service for high-paying jobs in the private sector as soon as their contracts to serve the government in exchange for their PMA scholarships lapse.
Meeting this job demand, however, will require more schools providing world-class training as well as programs to encourage more Filipinos to become pilots. Flying schools charge high fees, and there are only a few with the necessary equipment to provide the kind of training required for large commercial aircraft. Those who can afford it train in flying schools overseas, particularly in the United States where trainees have access to flight simulators and state-of-the-art aircraft. These pilots are the ones who command the highest salaries in the airline industry.
As the boom in nursing schools has shown, Filipino parents are willing to invest their life savings on courses that offer their child good prospects for landing a high-paying job after graduation. But first, authorities must get the word out that the world needs more pilots.
At the same time that training facilities for pilots are being upgraded, the government and the private sector must work together to encourage enrollment in courses for skilled workers needed in the airline industry. Before PAL’s woes with its pilots, industry players had already complained of the worsening lack of mechanics and other skilled workers needed for aircraft maintenance and related services. Filipinos cannot be prevented from seeking greener pastures overseas, and the economy is heavily dependent on the remittances of overseas workers, but someone has to stay behind. The Philippine economy cannot take off if no one is left to pilot the aircraft or keep it airworthy.
