Professional pilot training is time-consuming and cost-intensive. Before future airliners take off, they invest countless hours and considerable financial resources in their training. This makes it all the more important to consider career opportunities after graduation at an early stage.
The good news is that job prospects in the cockpit are better than they have been for a long time.
Current studies predict that there will be a shortage of around 80,000 pilots worldwide by 2030. A shortage that is already forcing many airlines to take action. Well-known airlines have started to invest more in their trainee programs, optimize training programs and offer financial support. The intensive search for suitable personnel is at the top of the agenda for many airlines.
Austrian Airlines (AUA) is a pioneer in this development. Together with the Aviation Academy Austria (AAA), the airline has launched the beginner+ program. Numerous student pilots are trained directly for AUA at the AAA. In view of the urgent need and the successful partnership, the program will be continued in 2025. A total of four new ATPL courses start at the Aviation Academy Austria every year and the future of the prospective professional pilots could hardly be better.
One person who has made it is Demia Böhme. The young woman was in the middle of her ATPL training when the coronavirus crisis plunged the aviation industry into an unprecedented crisis. But Demia was not discouraged. She completed her training with us at the Aviation Academy Austria and started her career at Austrian Airlines. Today, at just 24 years old, she is one of the airline's youngest female co-pilots - an impressive example of perseverance and determination.
Particularly noteworthy is the increasing proportion of women in the cockpit. Around 20% of current students at AAA are young women who want to fulfill their dream of flying.
Even if the prospects of a job in the cockpit are excellent, it takes more than that to be successful as a pilot. In addition to high-quality training, personal commitment, hard work, intensive learning and the right attitude are indispensable factors on this path.