I had no idea US pilots were leaving the country in droves. I guess it makes sense. All the bankruptcies in the US airline business, pay cuts, frozen pensions, eroded job security and increases in monthly flight hours are not exactly benefits of the job.
This Time article, titled International Departures, describes the mood among pilots working in the US as not exactly filled with motivation. Many US pilots have already switched to working for international carriers, where they can still be treated like “upper-level managers, with something they feel has long been missing in the US: respect.”
Dubai-based Emirates, for example, expects to hire 540 pilots this year. Half the applicants are Americans, compared with just 7% of its current pilots. Over the past four years, over 100 US pilots have been lured by Emirates and their generous benefits package, including over 40 days of vacation and guaranteed annual raises.
I wonder what Kent will say about this trend. Any insights?