For Immediate Release February, 2004

Brampton and CFTC Adopt ATAC Study Recommendations

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In November 2003, the Air Transport Association of Canada (ATAC) released the follow-up Study to the “2001 Human Resource Study of Commercial Pilots in Canada”. Importantly, the new Study states that the demand outlook for commercial pilots in Canada will rebound to grow at a healthy 2.8 % annual rate in the years ahead. This growth implies 400 - 500 new pilots trained to commercial operator standards will be required each year over the next five years.

Encouraging signs are already evident. Passenger travel is once again growing. WestJet and Jetsgo are examples of airline operators that have been expanding rapidly. WestJet expects to hire about 300 new pilots over the next three years and continue hiring into the future past 2008. Jetsgo will double the size of its fleet in 2004 alone, resulting in the need for 150 new pilots. While Air Canada’s pilot work force had been shrinking over the past 18 months, today pilot employment levels are more-or-less stable. As well, ATAC estimates “baby boomer” age pilots will retire at the rate of 150 annually over the five years further reinforcing the need for new pilots ready for air carrier employment.

The 2001 Study found there is an emerging gap between conventional flight school training and the skills required by commercial operators. The Study pointed out “An extensive array of new technology now coming on stream in the industry’s ground-based, airborne, and satellite infrastructure is having an increasingly major impact on all aspects of the industry - none more so than the evolving need for new skills.. . The recent emphasis placed on so-called “soft skills”, everything from crew resource management to decision-making abilities, is sure to continue.” The Study provided forty-five specific recommendations with twenty-seven directed at improving the state of flight training in Canada.

The 2003 follow-up ATAC Study reconfirmed that players in the aviation community in Canada feel strongly a “gap” exists and that many of the original recommendations should receive priority attention. As well, the 2003 Study noted that new multi-crew licencing requirements will emerge from ICAO within two years further upping the training bar for pilots wishing to pursue airline flying as a career.

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