These are turbulent times for trainee pilots

THERE was a stark message for aspiring young pilots at a professional training exhibition at Heathrow last weekend, when they were warned they faced up to £120,000 worth of debt and little prospect of a job: “The glamour days of aviation are over.”

The event was organised by Balpa, the union for pilots. It painted a stark picture of the pay and conditions facing the industry that are probably a far cry from what most passengers envisage.

The starting salary for a newly qualified pilot is likely to be no more than £17,000, although if they were able to accrue enough flying time this could rise to £40-50,000 within five years.

In reality, however, graduates are increasingly being recruited by airlines on a self-employed basis. This arrangement requires them to set themselves up as limited company and hire out their services at hourly rates of around £20-55. Peak-time earnings might be good but it means no guaranteed hours, no sick pay or holiday entitlement; a boon for the airlines but a hardship for financially hamstrung recruits.

Balpa’s guide for prospective pilots warns that average training costs are £60-80,000 with none of the student loan financing available for university courses. Even the best bank loans on the market could mean repayments of £800 a month over 11 years, depending on interest rates.

Captain Brendan O’Neal, Balpa chairman and a pilot with 22 years experience, said: “I understand and share the enthusiasm of many young people whose dream is to walk into the cockpit as an airline pilot.

“But the reality is that it can be a difficult road to travel and I am determined that people understand the potential pitfalls as well opportunities that are out there.” A recent report for the European Commission found that one European pilot in six is employed through a temporary work agency, selfemployed or on a zero-hours contract. Casual labour is even more common among young pilots, with 40 per cent of 20-30 year olds flying without being directly employed by their airline.

The report singled out Ryanair, Norwegian and Wizz Air as among the worst offenders, although the companies have rebuffed the findings and criticised the methodology of the report, which was based on an anonymous survey of 6,600 pilots. Anyone who has seen Michael Moore’s documentary Capitalism: A Love Story might be reminded of his conversations with US regional airline pilots mired in debt and taking up second jobs to top up their meagre earnings. Some were even on food stamps.

The situation was highlighted by black box audio from a Continental flight that crashed in Buffalo in 2009, killing all 49 on board. Moments before the crew had been discussing “how little they were paid and how overworked they were”.

Much talk lately has focused on the need for mental health checks on pilots in the wake of the appalling Germanwings crash. Airlines have a duty of care to their staff, but this should also extend to pay packets and social security obligations.

If airlines can find ways to dodge these by employing pilots at armslength, perhaps they will also expect pilots to fund their own check ups?

‘‘ Peak-time earnings might be good but it means no guaranteed hours, no sick pay or holiday entitlement