The move is designed to help meet rising demand for airline service as an increasing number of Koreans opt to travel abroad. Currently, low-cost carriers offer flights mainly on Asian routes at reasonable prices, driving up overseas travel demand. (Image: Yonhap)
SEOUL, Sept. 25 (Korea Bizwire) – Local South Korean airline carriers plan to train and hire 3,000 pilots by 2022 to meet growing demand, the transport ministry said Monday.
The move is designed to help meet rising demand for airline service as an increasing number of Koreans opt to travel abroad. Currently, low-cost carriers offer flights mainly on Asian routes at reasonable prices, driving up overseas travel demand.
As the country’s eight airlines plan to add 152 planes to their fleets during the 2018-2022 period, they need at least 1,800 additional pilots to operate the new planes, industry people said.
Currently, the eight airlines employ a combined 5,711 pilots. They are Korean Air Lines Co., Asiana Airlines Inc., and six budget carriers — Jin Air, Jeju Air, Air Busan Co., Air Seoul Inc., Eastar Jet and T’way Air Co.
For the next five years, 400 pilots are expected to retire and 500 are expected to quit domestic carriers to work at overseas rivals seeking higher pay, they said.
(Yonhap)
