FAA Forecasts Continued, Steady Growth in Air Travel
Published Mar 18, 2015 on Pilot Jobs
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The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) updated its forecast of airline traffic for the next twenty years in the agency’s Annual Aviation Forecast. The FAA projects that there will be steady growth for airlines in the US with greater numbers of passengers forecast to fly more miles each year over the next two decades.
“The improving economy continues to bode well for the health of the U.S air transportation system,” said FAA Administrator Michael Huerta. “The FAA and industry are continuing to deploy NextGen technologies and procedures to ensure that the nation’s aviation system can safely and efficiently meet our growing airspace demands.”
The FAA joins aircraft manufacturers Boeing and Airbus to forecast air travel once a year. All three sources agree that the airline industry will maintain or increase its present rate of growth for the next twenty years. This growth is forecast to maintain this growth rate globally as the rest of the world’s airlines continue to grow rapidly to satisfy the growing demand for air travel.
The rapid growth of the airlines, along with the forced retirement of tens of thousands of current airline pilots and tightened restrictions on hiring new pilots, has created great demand for new airline pilots to enter the airline industry. Over 38,000 new pilots will be needed over the next decade, and the demand is already creating many opportunities for people to enter the industry and begin very lucrative airline careers.
The demand is also prompting the airline industry to reach out and help people who are interested in an airline career to begin flight training to take advantage of the opportunity to fly for the airlines. One airline, Mesa Airlines, has partnered with ATP to offer tuition reimbursement to pilots both while they are training at ATP and after they leave ATP to begin flying for Mesa. Other airlines are offering substantial signing and retention bonuses to pilots to attract them to their respective airlines. This trend will no doubt grow as airlines become increasingly desperate for new pilots.
The demand for new airline pilots entering the industry has never been greater and neither has the opportunity been greater to begin a lucrative career as an airline pilot. The quickest and most direct path to an airline career is available by training with the flight school with the most success in helping pilots achieve their career goals. Want to fly for the airlines? Get there first by training with ATP.
Press Release – FAA Forecast Sees Continued, Steady Growth in Air Travel