Regional Round-Up
Japan’s pilot shortages force LLC cancellations
June 1st 2014
Last month, Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) announced it wants the Japanese government to ease immigration requirements for foreign pilots working in Japan to reduce cockpit crew shortages at several of the nation’s budget carriers. Read More » It also wants other hurdles imposed on foreign pilots removed, including reducing flight hour requirements.
The MLIT said it had opened discussions with the Ministry of Justice to address the problem of crew shortages and hoped to have a solution within a year. There are 5,686 Japanese pilots and 392 (7%) foreign pilots working for Japanese airlines in Japan. Several budget carriers, especially, have shortfalls in their cockpit crew headcounts because regional competition for pilots is intense.
