The pandemic hit the pilots hard, more than half of them do not fly

Among the sectors, the new coronavirus pandemic has crippled tourism and air transport the most. This has also been reflected in the work of pilots, more than half of whom are not currently performing their work. This was pointed out by the latest survey published by Reuters. According to a survey by GOOSE Recruitment and the trade magazine FlightGlobal, conducted on a sample of almost 2,600 pilots around the world, only 43% are currently doing the work they have been trained for. About 30% are unemployed, another approximately 17% take unpaid leave and 10% have moved to other positions. Of the pilots who continue to fly, many report a worsening of the situation. This is mainly a significant reduction in salaries, but also a high degree of uncertainty as to whether they will not lose their job in a short time. According to the founder and head of GOOSE Recruitment Mark Charman, a large number of pilots feel insecure about the job position and more and more of them are planned to look for a new position this year. Many others, in turn, feel underestimated by employers. The biggest concerns about the pandemic have been expressed by busy pilots in Europe. They fear that they will receive COVID-19, nervous about their changing rules and the continuing risk of being quarantined. Of the total number of pilots, up to 40% said that the pandemic affected their mental health. In this respect, the younger pilots are worse off. Of those who lost their jobs, 84% said they had lost it as a result of the new coronavirus pandemic. Their situation changed within a few months, as there was a shortage of pilots before the onset of the pandemic, and airlines lured pilots to higher salaries and better working conditions. However, now 82% of unemployed pilots are willing to accept a new job for a lower salary.