New Zealand: There is no pilot skill shortage, Government says (With Video)

Published: 7:17AM Friday July 26, 2013 
Source: ONE News

The Government says there is "no skill shortage", despite Air New Zealand saying it does not currently have enough qualified pilots and is looking to hire foreign pilots to fill the gap.

Air New Zealand requires pilots have a minimum of 500 flying hours, including 25 hours of night flying, and says there are not enough with the necessary experience here.

The national carrier says it has applied to have pilots added to the Immigration Department's skills shortage list to ensure they have sufficient numbers to meet the needs in the medium to long term.

However, the application before Immigration New Zealand has outraged many local pilots who argue the move is not necessary, a comment backed up by the Government.

Minister Steven Joyce said: "With regards to airplane pilots, I understand that Immigration's preliminary view is that there is not a current skill shortage."

He said the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment is currently undertaking the scheduled 2013 review of skills shortage lists.

"Every business has had the opportunity to nominate areas of skill shortage. My understanding is that pilots are included at the nomination of Air New Zealand," he said.

Mr Joyce said that the Ministry of Education and the Tertiary Education Commission will be providing input into the final decisions on the skills shortages lists, particularly in the case of pilots.

"Due to the considerable work they have done in the aviation education area over the last couple of years," he added.

Air New Zealand said it has applied as a precautionary measure and it also has various other pilot recruitment initiatives.

"Any changes to immigration policy relating to the pilot profession would not disadvantage any sufficiently qualified and capable New Zealand pilot," Air NZ said in a statement.

Kiwi pilots struggle to find jobs

Pilots have told ONE News the industry is very hard to break into at the moment and many students are already going to Australia.

Helena Chesworth said that she has been flying for four years but cannot find a job as a commercial pilot so she is looking further afield.

"I'd really like to stay in New Zealand. The fact is the industry is really tough to break into at the moment and a lot of our students are going over to Australia," she said.

Phil Hooker, chief instructor at Bayflight International in Tauranga, told Newstalk ZB this morning that the country has got many eligible pilots right now who are trying to get into Air New Zealand but are being forced to go overseas to find jobs.

"There's a saying in New Zealand that it's easier to get into NASA than into Air New Zealand."

Similarly, Ardmore Flying School, which produces around 70 qualified commercial pilots each year, says there is a responsibility to support those homegrown students.

"For the good of the New Zealand situation and for all those students who have invested a lot of money in their future it's a good opportunity now for some of these students to get some payback and so we think there's a responsibility at some level to support that," said Ardmore Flying School's Mike Newman.

The Aviation Association says the number of pilots available will reduce with the Government clamping down on student loans for pilots, meaning they will need to come up with around $100,000 for a career in aviation.

Story and Video:   http://tvnz.co.nz