The airline industry is grappling with a pilot shortage that started during the pandemic (early retirements, non-hiring, layoffs). Commercial companies are trying to deal with this as best they can: the American United Airlines has opened its own flight school. However, even though more than 13,000 pilots were hired in the United States in 2022 and at least 9,500 were licensed, these are not enough today to keep up with travel demand.

"There has been a lot of coverage over the last year about pilot shortages among commercial airlines. I am thinking of United Airlines, which is so understaffed that it has even set up its own flight school. There is even a law under discussion at federal level that aims to raise the retirement age for pilots. That makes sense to me. I don't know what the solution would be: they could probably create new programs and increase the incentives to enter that industry", said attorney Clint Barkdoll, aviation expert.

The problem is not easy to fix overnight. Becoming a B-787 pilot requires extensive training that can take years and cost, combined, up to nearly 100,000 dollars. And think of the helicopter pilots who perform services such as ambulance: more than 80 million Americans live more than an hour's drive from a trauma center, so rotary vanes become lifesaving tools. It is therefore necessary to invest more in education and training.