More than half of world’s airline pilots no longer flying: Survey

More than half of the world’s airline pilots are no longer flying for a living amid the plunge in demand during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new survey, and those that are still flying feel less valued by their employers.

A poll of nearly 2,600 pilots by UK-based GOOSE Recruitment and industry publication FlightGlobal, released on Thursday, found only 43 per cent were doing the job they had trained for, with 30 per cent unemployed, 17 per cent furloughed and 10 per cent in non-flying roles.

Many pilots that are still flying have faced deteriorating working conditions. Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd , for example, instituted permanent pay cuts of up to 58 per cent, and Turkish Airways and Singapore Airlines Ltd have temporarily lowering salaries.