New Report: Only the Richest Students Can Afford to Be Pilots

Poorer pilot students have to make a choice: skip flying lessons or watch their money fly away.

According to new reports from the British Airline Pilots’ Association, it appears that only the richest students can afford to take pilot lessons. The costs are prohibitive – up to £100,000, or about $128,700 – to both train and qualify for a pilot’s license. Previously, airlines funded the training and offered a guaranteed job to students that passed exams. Now, the student must pay for it all without the benefit of incoming job security.

“Unfortunately, many aspiring pilots who have worked hard to get top-notch A-level qualifications, will fall by the wayside because they are unable to fund their training,” Wendy Pursey, the Association’s membership and career services head, told the Independent. “We believe this financial burden has a real impact on pilots and has wider repercussions for the aviation industry. Pilot contracts are changing and the big salaries associated with being a pilot are fast disappearing. There are some contracts out there for low-hours pilots which barely pay enough to live on, let alone cover the cost of training. Whilst we don’t want to put anyone off a pilot career, we must ensure our future pilot members are entering the industry with their eyes wide open. We believe more needs to be done to ensure fresh talent is supported early in their career.”

According to the Association, the expense of training has created a system where less qualified but wealthier students can become pilots, while better-but-poorer students are left behind. The Association is asking for airline assistance to remedy the problem, noting that being a pilot should be based on ability over anything else, rather than how much money someone has.

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