New Zealand's critical pilot shortage is 'astronomical for the industry' , aviation advocate says

New Zealand is facing a critical pilot shortage that chief executive at Auckland's Ardmore Flying School Irene King says is astronomical for the aviation industry.

A new report by independent research group Scarlatti predicted New Zealand would face a shortage of 100 pilots per year for at least the next 10 years.

The research anticipated the need for pilots would only grow if there were no changes made to New Zealand's tertiary policies.

King told First Up that the shortage was also driven by the industry's growth, high training costs and the long-term impacts of Covid-19.

"We simply haven't been training enough for quite some years."

She said New Zealand's aviation industry was still experiencing the repercussions of Covid.

King also said that the current training syllabus, mandated by the Civil Aviation Authority, was based on old concepts which was a source of frustration.

"We deliver a very good product but the problem we are having is that the product has not been modernised.

"It is based on 1950s' concepts and ideas but we are now talking about pilots who have to fly in 2021 flight deck concepts," she said.

However, King said the shortage was an opportunity for school leavers and those who wanted a career change.

She said becoming a pilot was not just about maths, it was about maturity and understanding how to work in a team environment.