Demand for pilots soars as business booms

Huge international demand for airline pilots is driving growth at CTC Aviation Training, with student numbers expected to reach 300 by next year.
The crew-training centre, based at Hamilton International Airport, is recruiting up to 19 new instructors to meet demand from India, China and the Asia-Pacific region where 50,000 pilots will be needed in coming years.
CTC Aviation Training chief executive Ian Calvert said three key factors were putting pressure on airlines worldwide and resulting in increased demand for graduates: large aircraft orders, increasing passenger numbers in Asia and the ageing pilot population.
CTC was in talks with major airlines in Asia, the Middle East and Europe, he said.
“Despite the recession, these are all still growth economies. The growth will taper off but no-one is expecting it for at least the next few years.”
While rising fuel costs and the high New Zealand dollar had impacted on the school itself, increasing training costs, he said it was doing little to curb the appetite for air travel in those countries that had the population to support it.
19/05/11 Nicola Boyes/Stuff.co.nz