What is the future outlook for pilots?

[Dominicoben]

Next year I'm leaving school to go and do a 4year degree in japanese. Following my degree, I'm hoping be able to enroll In an FTO and go down the integrated route to getting my fATPL.

Obviously this is a volatile industry where things can happen really quickly putting pilots out of work, and the economic conditions since 08 meant that the future didn't look too bright. What is it like now? I've read that slowly things are improving, but I'm also reading a lot of articles with the 'PILOT SHORTAGE LOOMING' sort of titles. I'm aware that this isn't entirely the case, and even if it is, there are a ton of fully qualified pilots out there waiting to snatch up the jobs if they 'do' become available.

What I really want to know, is what things will be like in the early-mid 2020s (once I've hopefully become fully qualified). I know that's still a good 8 years away, but will the situation have improved by then and everyone gets jobs, or will it be like now where there aren't enough jobs and too many pilots?

Thanks for taking the time to read and answer this!

[mad_jock]

There hasn't been a shortage of low experienced pilots since the second world war.

I really can't see that changing. To be honest for European pilots things will only get worse as by the time 2020 comes along the other markets will have got up to speed with the training of their local pilots and the ex pats will be gone.

[stella di mare]

Finish your degree first and see what the situation is like then. Towards the end of your flight training you might have an idea how the industry is and what your chances of finding a job will be. As mad jock says there has never been a shortage of low houred pilots. Realise that no one can give a meaningful answer to your question. I can't even predict next month, let alone 2020!

[Luke SkyToddler]

I have a crystal ball and I can predict with absolute 100% certainty that the market for 200 hour pilots in 2020 will be even more ed as it is now. And twice as expensive to train.

Bookmark this page and check back in 6 years, you know I'm right

[Halfwayback]

Before you get any other gainsayers and sciolists jumping in I shall close this thread.

I suggest that you spend a few hours reading through the forum - use the search function to focus your research - and you will get a very good oversight of the commercial aviation industry . from there you can draw your own conclusions!

HWB