As the need to ramp up the aviation workforce continues, efforts are being made to lessen critical industry labor shortages. From increasing access to funding to improving training, the 2023 FAA Reauthorization Bill aims to make effective changes with a long-lasting impact.

Pilot and technician shortages, service interruptions, and other recent obstacles have put a spotlight on the need for policy changes within the industry. That’s why the bipartisan FAA Reauthorization Act aims to put measures into place that will help alleviate the challenges, improve safety and service, and provide funding to hire more pilots, technicians, and air traffic controllers, as well as implement the latest safety technology.

Every 5 years, the funding and mandate of the FAA are defined by Congress through the FAA Reauthorization Act, and 2023 is such a year when the future course of aviation in the U.S. will be set with the passage of the Act. This year, it’s more important than ever to make effective changes that will change the course of the future of the industry.

"The labor shortage in the aviation industry translates into parked aircraft and canceled flights. The industry needs more pilots and more aircraft technicians to keep communities connected and protect air service from getting interrupted across the United States,” said Ross Mitchell, Vice-President, Strategy and Business Development, at MHIRJ.

SUPPORTING EDUCATION AND RECRUITMENT

In order to meet workforce demands, part of this bill focuses on increasing funding for the FAA’s Aviation Workforce Development Grant Program. This program is designed to grow the aviation workforce pipeline by supporting the education and recruitment of pilots, maintenance technicians, and aircraft manufacturing technical workers. It also calls for the FAA to develop a national plan to address the critical shortages being felt across the industry.

While it’s imperative to address current workforce challenges, it’s also necessary to remove the barriers that prevent the next generation of professionals from pursuing a career in aviation. The extremely high cost of training limits access to education and training for many, so increasing funding will open the doors to opportunity for a far more diverse group of people, thus building a larger workforce in less time.

CHANGING THE EXISTING LANDSCAPE

One of the solutions to the pilot shortage that has been receiving the most attention is changing the mandatory retirement age for pilots. This latest bill finally looks to increase the mandatory retirement age for commercial pilots from the current 65 to 67. The majority of the pilot workforce is still healthy, capable, and wanting to continue their careers past the age of 65, so this change will reduce the shortage being felt today by allowing the most experienced pilots to continue flying. This will positively impact the availability of pilots, helping close the gap while new pilots complete their training.

Another notable change presented in the bill is allowing pilots to complete a portion of their training hours in simulators. These simulators are an incredible tool with state-of-the-art technology designed to mimic real-life aircraft and prepare pilots for situations that cannot be simulated on actual training aircraft. From engine failure to hazardous wind shear, experience is everything when it comes to safety training—and that’s where technology comes in. Modernizing training requirements and leveraging modern simulators can help get pilots accredited and in the air faster, helping to close the pilot shortage gap. This would be a significant improvement from the traditional flight training that requires accumulating flight hours on a single-engine aircraft.

We look forward to seeing these changes take action and bring the aviation industry into a great new era. Full details on what the 2023 FAA reauthorization bill brings to the table can be found on the U.S. Senate website.

Putting the current aviation labor shortage in the past requires effective policy change, and it requires immediate action to help make that happen. The recent introduction of two key pieces of legislation in the U.S. Senate will help in the efforts to solve the current crisis. The Aviation Workforce, Opportunity, Recruiting, Knowledge, and Supply Act (Aviation WORKS Act) by Senators Mark Kelly and Deborah Fischer, as well as the Let Experienced Pilots Fly Act, introduced by Senator Lindsey Graham and co-sponsored by Senators Mark Kelly, Joe Manchin, Chuck Grassley, Marsha Blackburn and Cynthia Lummis, promise to do just that.

Change requires action, so discussions on how bipartisan legislation could strengthen aviation and aerospace workforce pipelines and boost investments are top of the agenda. The Aviation WORKS Act will serve to expand access to existing pilot and aviation maintenance technician workforce programs, and encourage future funding, while the Let Experienced Pilots Fly Act extends the retirement age for pilots from 65 to 67.

A SHORTAGE THAT GOES BEYOND PILOTS

While the pilot shortage has taken the spotlight in terms of acute needs, the industry shortage is also affecting other critical positions like mechanics and other technical maintenance staff. The Aviation WORKS Act will expand FAA workforce grants, which will give more people access to training for careers in these skilled positions. These skilled workers are just as critical to the future of the aviation industry as pilots. If the shortage of pilots was resolved, currently there are not enough technicians to service the fleet and keep it flying.

To put things in perspective, it’s important to take a look at the numbers when all of these positions are combined. The aerospace and defense industry currently supports nearly 2 million jobs across the United States. Over the next two decades, Boeing estimates that the industry will need 612,000 new pilots, 626,000 new maintenance technicians, and 886,000 new cabin crew members.

THE SHORT-TERM SOLUTION

The Let Experienced Pilots Fly Act will extend the retirement age for pilots, allowing the seasoned professionals with the most experience to continue their careers. The Act will provide time for the industry to adapt to the current shortage and take action to accelerate the training of new pilots. Of course, this is not the end of the need for reform, but it does acknowledge the serious nature of the shortage in aviation and is a great first step in solving the current crisis.

There will continue to be the need for better funding and training for pilots and technicians. The road to becoming an aviation professional is long and costly, and if we are to have a qualified and diverse workforce, action needs to be taken to increase funding. While that change is currently being contemplated, the Act will ease the short-term constraints and allow for the continued functioning of the air transport system.

FUNDING FOR THE FUTURE

So how can the Aviation WORKS Act tackle the aviation workforce shortage? By boosting workforce development funding for pilots and maintenance technicians. This act would quadruple funding for the Aviation Workforce Development Program to $20 million. It would also create more avenues for aviation careers via two additional grant programs.

The first is an aviation manufacturing workforce development program to support manufacturers and higher education institutions in expanding skills training and education opportunities. The second is a sector-based grant program that would create partnerships between employers, labor unions, institutions of higher education, and other community stakeholders to better connect workers with training and employers.

By continuing to communicate the effects of the growing pilot shortage on our aviation system and local communities, we are better able to advocate for meaningful policy solutions like the Aviation WORKS Act. Thank you to the Senators who are eager to support critical change.

We’ll continue bringing you updates via WINGSPAN as developments unfold. In the meantime, be sure to visit Rally for Air Service to see how you too can get involved.

The labor shortage in the aviation industry is impacting air travel across the nation. A shortage of pilots and skilled technicians is causing interrupted service and disconnecting communities. We’re rallying with our industry partners to create necessary legislative changes, and you can too.

Join the Rally for Air Service movement here to help keep the industry soaring!

Check out our articles in WINGSPAN for expert insights into what’s being done, and what’s to come:

As regional travel continues to be impacted by the pilot shortage, smaller communities remain the most affected. MHIRJ’s Ross Mitchell talks about what MHIRJ and its industry partners are doing to take a collective stand and push for change.

The race to close the gap in the pilot shortage continues. As short- and long-term solutions are rolled out, how can new technologies play a pivotal role in getting pilots safely trained and accredited faster? Aviation expert Randy Babbitt weighs in.

Bryan Bedford, CEO and President of Republic Airways, discusses the effects of the pilot shortage on family, work, economic development, flight cost, and service availability Bedford also talks about how regulations around pilot training need to change in order to alleviate the pilot shortage without sacrificing safety.

The effects of the pilot shortage continue to be felt across the nation. We sat down with Dion Flannery, CEO & President of PSA Airlines, and Chairman of the Regional Airline Association and discussed the realities everyone faces until concrete changes are implemented.

Industry analyst and data expert, Courtney Miller, spoke to MHIRJ about what he sees happening if viable solutions are not put into play to help resolve the pilot shortage and maintain regional service.

Drew Jacoby Lemos, Vice-President of Government Affairs with the Regional Airline Association (RAA), talks to us about the importance of industry stakeholders rallying together to help alleviate the labor shortage and make room for new technologies.

Rick Leach, President and CEO of GoJet Airlines, speaks to MHIRJ about how the pilot shortage is affecting the integration of new technologies and the availability of aircraft like the new CRJ550.

Industry expert, Addison Schonland, talks about what the aviation industry can and should do differently post-pandemic to help get more planes off the ground and new pilots in the air. Schonland also comments on the structural barriers that continue to limit the pace of progress.

Amel Belkhamsa, Head of Aftermarket Commercial Services at MHIRJ talks about how we are continuing to evolve post-pandemic to become even stronger as an MRO provider, and better equipped to serve our ever-growing customer base.