Commercial U.S. Pilots Flock to Other Countries

Almost two years ago, at 51, Brian Murray took early retirement from US Airways. The pilot was outraged by the airline's termination of his pension plan and worried about his future with a carrier sliding toward bankruptcy court for the second time.

But Capt. Murray's flying career was far from over. Today he lives in Dubai and flies wide-body Airbus A330s for fast-growing Emirates airline, winging to destinations in Europe, Africa and Asia. He is home more than he was at US Airways, and his total compensation package -- including health care, housing allowance, retirement plan and vacation -- is superior. He says his wife and children enjoy living in the United Arab Emirates, and "from a professional standpoint, it couldn't be better."

In a new twist on global outsourcing, a flock of U.S. pilots is fleeing the depressed North American airline industry to work where aviation is booming. After the 2001 terrorist attacks stifled air travel and sent the U.S. industry into its deepest decline ever, more than 10,000 U.S. pilots were laid off, and many more took early retirement. Despite subsequent hiring by a few carriers, including Southwest Airlines, thousands haven't been able to find new flying jobs.

At the same time, the industry is expanding in China, India, Southeast Asia and the Middle East. As these regions have grown more affluent and loosened aviation restrictions, travel demand has soared.

DEMAND FOR PILOTS SKY HIGH

U.S. pilots are working as far afield as Bolivia, China, Qatar and Vietnam. Cathay Pacific Airways of Hong Kong and Singapore Airlines are hiring more Americans, as are carriers in Taiwan, South Korea and increasingly, in India.

The diaspora is one symptom of a growing global shortage of well-trained commercial pilots. Chicago's Boeing Co. pegs demand for new pilots at about 18,000 a year through 2024.

The hiring frenzy has led to some safety concerns. English is the industry's worldwide language. Putting two pilots who speak different native languages in the same cockpit, where they might have to interact with an air traffic controller whose native tongue is different still, can lead to problems, says Dennis Dolan, a retired Delta Air Lines captain and president of the U.K.-based International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations.

The International Civil Aviation Organization intends to start testing international pilots and air-traffic controllers for English proficiency in 2008.

Duane Woerth, president of the Air Line Pilots Association, a U.S. union, worries about the "brain drain" accompanying the loss of senior pilots.

But "our guys are warming up to it," he said.

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