Regional News
Airlines Don’t Seems to Want Newly Trained Pilots from Thailand
“New pilots are being churned out continually without information of how many of them are actually employable. This has led to the oversupply of pilots who aren’t up to scratch”
Pilots in Thailand are failing to find work despite high global demand in the aviation industry, according to Thailand’s Civil Aviation Training Centre president, Rear admiral Piya Atmungkun.
While International airline operators are competing to offer jobs to pilots, Thai pilots cannot find jobs?
Between 600 and 700 newly graduated pilots are struggling to secure seats in cockpits, he said.
Aviation programs and pilot training schools have mushroomed, but many fail to meet international standards.
New pilots are being churned out continually without information of how many of them are actually employable. This has led to the oversupply of pilots who aren’t up to scratch, he told the Bangkok Post.
“The picture of the Thai aviation industry is being distorted by the claim that we lack pilots. It’s true there is a scarcity of pilots, but that demand is for experienced, not new, pilots,” Piya said.
He believes a plan to establish a “city of aviation” in the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) will only increase the supply of domestic aviation personnel.
“Even before the EEC officially opens, there is already a high number of aviation graduates,” Piya said.
“But companies will not employ pilots if their qualifications are not certified according to international standards.”
The UN-based International Civil Aviation Organisation suggests Thailand should set up an aviation centre of excellence in the EEC. Which should also enroll students from Asean countries.
If given the green light, the new centre would offer high-quality training at a more affordable price, he said.
