You can add pilots to the list of national shortages Canada needs to solve.
Driving the news: WestJet is considering hiring temporary foreign workers to help address a nationwide pilot shortage, per the CBC. The feds have greenlit the airline’s request to access the Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) program, though no hires have been made so far.
Catch-up: Since 2019, the number of commercial pilot licences given out in Canada has dropped by more than 80%. Canadian pilots migrating to the U.S., a surge in COVID-era layoffs and retirements, and high training costs have all played a role.
- Young Canadians, in particular, could be deterred by the cost of pilot training, which can add up to as much as $100,000, more than double what it was 20 years ago.
Why it matters: The shortage of pilots has forced airlines to cancel flights at the last minute and cut routes serving smaller markets, while also contributing to the demise of discount carriers like Lynx Air.
Bottom line: While tapping the TFW program could take pressure off WestJet in the short term, some experts argue that turning to temporary foreign workers won’t address the underlying problems that have led to the pilot shortage in the first place.—LA