Analysis: Foreign pilots rush in as U.S. carriers struggle to staff up
03/05/2022 12:00
By Rajesh Kumar Singh and Allison Lampert
May 3 (Reuters) - Pilots are back in demand in the United
States. But carriers cannot find enough of them, so foreign
pilots are rushing to fill the empty cockpits.
U.S. immigration lawyers report a surge in inquiries and
visa applications from pilots based in countries where traffic
is still recovering from pandemic lows.
That could bring some relief to an industry struggling to
rebuild capacity after a two-year slump, but the trend is
stirring a backlash from domestic unions.
It also reflects an uneven global recovery from COVID-19.
Coronavirus infections are still rising in many countries
although pandemic curbs have been easing in some places. While
booming travel demand is projected to help major U.S. carriers
surpass their pre-pandemic revenue this quarter, airline traffic
in some parts of the world remains depressed.
"While the U.S. has a major shortage, in the rest of the
world pilots are out of jobs," said Ana Barbara Schaffert, an
attorney at California-based AG Immigration Group.
She has received more than 8,000 requests for consultation
in recent months, and is screening over 2,000 resumes from
pilots seeking to immigrate to the United States – up more than
90% from before COVID-19.
According to United Airlines UAL.O , pilots are expected to
remain in short supply for years. Whereas the United States can
produce a maximum of only 7,000 pilots a year, carriers need
13,000 pilots this year and even more next year, United Airlines
said.
Limited training capacity, among other issues, remains a
barrier to producing pilots.
Staffing woes have marred operations in recent weeks at
carriers such as Alaska Air Group Inc ALK.N and JetBlue
Airways Corp JBLU.O , resulting in mass flight cancellations.
To prevent further disruption, airlines have cut summer
schedules.
Shortages are even more acute at regional airlines, which
are facing a soaring attrition rate because of poaching by
higher-paying national carriers.
American Airlines Group Inc AAL.O last month told
investors the pilot attrition rate at its regional carriers was
outpacing the hiring rate.
That is drawing interest from pilots in Canada, Europe,
Africa and Asia where traffic is still recovering, said Carmen
Arce, an attorney at Florida-based Arce Immigration Law.
Arce and Jean-Francois Harvey, global managing partner at
Harvey Law Group, said they are also getting inquiries from
pilots in Russia, where airlines have been hit hard by Western
sanctions.
Three Canadian pilots said they are considering moving to
the United States because of Canada's previous strict COVID-19
restrictions, which grounded planes earlier during the pandemic
and forced some aviators to seek employment as drivers for Uber
Technologies Inc UBER.N .
'UNPRECEDENTED' OPPORTUNITY
Many foreign pilots have hesitated to apply since
immigration in the United States can take up to 26 months and
cost as much as $20,000, with no guarantee of success.
"It's like if you wanted to go to Colorado for the (19th
century) gold rush, but you were stopped in Michigan," said a
Montreal-based pilot for Transat AT Inc's TRZ.TO Air Transat.
"If the green card process changed in the U.S., there would
be a lot more pilots leaving (Canada)."
Even so, Schaffert said a widening demand-supply gap has
created an "unprecedented" opportunity for experienced foreign
pilots. First, they must convince U.S. immigration officials
that permanent residency would be in the country's interest.
Under the so-called national interest waiver clause,
non-U.S. citizens are allowed to apply for permanent residency
without a job offer, making it easier to immigrate.
Schaffert said more than 90% of the applications submitted
by her firm for experienced pilots have been approved.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) did not
supply data on applications from pilots. But a spokesperson said
the agency determines requests on "a case-by-case basis."
The Federal Aviation Administration says the number of
foreign-licensed pilots seeking U.S. certificates required to
fly large jets increased to 718 in 2021, up about 24% from 2019.
BARRIERS TO FLIGHT
Foreign pilots are also facing opposition from local unions.
They want airlines to do more to address barriers to becoming a
pilot like the high cost of training, instead of recruiting
foreigners.
The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), the world's largest
pilot union, with more than 62,000 members, said there is an
"adequate" domestic supply of qualified pilots.
"ALPA opposes any efforts to use the visa process to
undermine pay and benefits for a profession so critical to the
U.S. economy and global travel," it said.
Regional and ultra-low-cost carriers like ExpressJet
Airlines, CommutAir, Breeze and Frontier Airlines ULCC.O are
recruiting Australian pilots, who can use a special visa.
Faye Malarkey Black, head of the Regional Airline
Association, said giving other foreign pilots a similar kind of
visa would ease the staffing problem.
SkyWest Inc SKYW.O , which operates flights for Delta Air
Lines DAL.N , American and United, recently dropped 29
government-subsidized routes, blaming insufficient pilots.
While the routes were later restored, regional carrier Mesa
Air Group MESA.O called SkyWest's move the "tip of the
iceberg" and warned the problem could hit mainline carriers.
Already, pilots from Delta Air Lines have been picketing at
the carrier's hubs, demanding an improvement in "fatiguing"
schedules. Southwest Airlines LUV.N pilots are also
complaining of rising rates of fatigue.
United has grounded 150 planes because of insufficient
pilots. Black said carriers have cut one of every three flights
they operated before the pandemic.
"It's the classic game of musical chairs," Black said. "When
you don't have enough chairs for everybody, something gets cut."
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(Reporting By Rajesh Kumar Singh in Chicago and Allison Lampert
in Montreal
Editing by Tim Hepher and Matthew Lewis)
((rajeshkumar.singh@thomsonreuters.com; +1-313-484-5370;
Reuters Messaging:
rajeshkumar.singh.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))