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Airlines could face most serious pilot shortage since 1960s

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    Newly hired pilots required to train for longer amounts of time

  • Duration 5:04
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Think we need more airline pilots and fast that's according to the reporting of the Wall Street Journal which -- parent company owns.

It reports that the US airlines could soon face the worst shortage of pilots.

In nearly half a century.

The journal sites stricter federal rules that are set to take effect forcing nearly hired pilots -- trained for longer periods of time.

-- regulations came in response to the deadly night 2009.

Crash of a passenger jet in Buffalo, New York.

That -- crash blamed on pilot error.

And there's also an impending wave of retirements.

One aviation consultant tells the journal that more than half of US pilots or over the age of fifty.

And now the mandatory retirement age is 65.

He's as the industry will adjust but he adds we are about four years from a solution but we are only about six months away from a problem.

Trace Gallagher is covering this season are but was -- newsroom this after the these rules are quite a bit stricter aren't that.

Much stricter shot meaning you can be higher right now for a by a region.

-- -- with about 250 hours of flight time beginning in August that flight time goes up to 15100.

Hours about six times as many hours of course it's all about safety net -- 2009 Colgan Air crashed near buffalo.

It killed fifty people in that crashed.

The pilot had failed.

Five flight test that's what they're focusing on.

But entry level pilots only make about 20000 dollars a year needing 15100 hours may very well.

Narrow the field the regional carriers say it should not be about hours it should be about training was.

I think that what the FAA.

Has considered and hopefully will consider and do.

Is look at back at what the experts have told them.

Go back and actually take away the arbitrary -- -- and go back to looking at the quality of training for each individual.

So beginning in August it's 15100 hours but the FAA admits that it is considering kind of revising the number of hours those regional pilots would -- you what what's this -- like -- -- how many pilots are going to be needed in the next I don't know in the coming years.

Yeah I mean they don't have exact numbers but I'm gonna put some numbers up on the screen that will give you some kind of contacts right now there are 96000.

Commercial pilots in the United States they'll -- about 65000.

Over the next eight years because of requirements and other things but look the bottom number only 36000.

Over the past eight years.

And actually passed that FAA exam.

It's not really hitting their mark but captain Sully Sullenberger of course of the miracle on the Hudson says he thinks this whole pilot shortage thing is blown out of proportion.

Just to lower pilot requirements he says experience is -- saying and I'm quoting here.

Until they've got much more time probably several thousand more hours they haven't seen that many cycles of the year the thunderstorms in the summer.

The ice and the snow in the waiter he goes on to say it was experience that saved.

That plane that landed on the Hudson we should also note that a lot of US pilots are also being lured away by foreign airlines that tend to pay.

A lot higher salaries -- Trace Gallagher in Los Angeles -- thanks let's bring in Mike Boyd now he's an aviation expert chair the chairman of the aviation -- -- board.

Boyd group international -- -- in my.

The thing is -- silly right is this overblown.

Well it could be that the reality is after that 2009 press the overreacted you want more experience in the cockpit.

So what you really they really needed to do is make the captain have more experience and monitor co pilot entry a lot a lot stronger that we wouldn't close the door.

Right now I don't know anyone in the right mind.

Who would -- an -- become an airline pilot the pay is terrible.

The career path is awful and I believe labor -- we work with the -- thinking they're telling their kids don't become an airline pilot.

Pat I don't understand -- 65 thing either.

This is this is 201265.

Years old for most sixty but that is not old but I I would call that experience.

It is that's what they we raised it recently from sixty to 65 wood with a real hot issue.

But the reality of it is.

You know you the new regulations if you just wanna start working for a cold and or someone like that.

It's another quarter million dollars and training so you get a job at 17100 dollars an hour living in.

And Newark.

But that's the mistake they made -- should've made that captain have more experience and guide co pilot the little wolf stronger.

Then we could take care of this but right now they're closed the door -- new entrants who.

-- is this gonna cause and when your estimation.

Cause a shortage of flights and the rest -- the airlines suggest.

It's gonna change things and it and it it adds to other things it.

With -- without this there isn't much of a career path you get a job with a quote regional on -- airline.

And the good there's a good chance you'll never get beyond that and -- at age 65 your fly and a assembly seat airplane and a lot but not under Tokyo.

Mike Boyd aviation expert live with -- -- good to see you thank you very much.

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