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The Thai aviation industry is projected to face a shortage of pilots within the next two to three years, as airlines keep increasing their aircraft numbers, while over half of Thai pilots are still unable to return to work because of licensing problems.

Woranate Laprabang, CEO of Vietjet Thailand, stated that over half of Thai pilots are unable to resume their jobs due to difficulties in renewing their licenses.

Pilots must frequently fly to keep their type rating current and are required to have yearly medical examinations.

Only 20-30% of pilots have been called back by airlines, so there are very few available to work in the aviation industry right now, he stated.

Vietjet Thailand has a fleet of 18 planes and employs approximately 180 pilots. Each narrow-body aircraft needs 10 pilots for operation.

The airline intends to decommission four aircraft and acquire nine new ones this year, which will necessitate hiring 50 more pilots, according to Mr. Woranate.

He mentioned that the airline has already approved 20 student pilots and intends to hire an additional 30 in the next stage.

By 2028, Vietjet Thailand plans to expand its fleet to 50 planes and employ a total of 500 pilots.

320 new pilots will be required within the next four years, with one-third coming from student pilot programs and the remaining portion sourced from the current pilot workforce.

Mr. Woranate mentioned that all Thai airlines are anticipated to cultivate their own pilots to aid in expanding their capacity.

Vietjet Thailand is allegedly implementing a pay-to-fly system, where pilots are charged training fees in return for job opportunities, a method frequently used in Europe, he mentioned.

Teerawat Angkasakulkiat, head of the Thai Pilots Association, mentioned that there are two categories of jobless pilots in Thailand: individuals holding commercial pilot licenses without prior experience working for commercial airlines, and those who were dismissed during the pandemic and have since remained away from flying.

He stated that both groups need to complete additional training in order to return to work, which involves significant costs.

If airlines fail to absorb these expenses and pilots refuse to bear them, jobs will not be created.

He mentioned that if an airline acquires new aircraft that are similar to those of another company, employee transfers could occur, since pilots who are trained on particular plane models need less time and expense for additional training.

Airlines that are losing pilots need to locate new crew members and frequently implement pay-to-fly requirements.

Mr. Teerawat mentioned that various airlines implement pay-to-fly programs to reduce expenses, which may amount to as much as 6 million baht.

He mentioned that if this unjust hiring practice becomes more common and stays without oversight, it might threaten the safety standards of the industry.

Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).