Over half of world's pilots are not currently flying, study says

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Pilots are apparently spending a lot of time on the ground.

A new survey suggests that more than half of the world’s airline pilots are not currently flying for a living. The report also alleged that the pilots who are still working for airlines feel underappreciated by their employers during this time.

The study was organized by UK-based Goose Recruitment and industry publication FlightGlobal, Reuters reports. Almost 2,600 pilots were interviewed for the poll, which found that only 43% pilots today were doing the job they'd trained for. The global coronavirus pandemic has complicated international movement and upended the travel industry at large, with demand for leisure trips plummeting as health officials urge the public to stay home in the fight against COVID-19.

According to the report, 2,600 pilots were interviewed for the poll, which found that only 43% were working in the job that they had trained. (iStock)

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According to the poll, about 10% of the pilots had been moved into non-flying roles. The rest had either been furloughed or were listed as unemployed.

"We can see the effect the pandemic has had on employed pilots too," said Mark Charman, CEO and founder of GOOS Recruitment. "Large numbers are feeling insecure about their jobs, an increased number are planning to look for new roles this year as well as many feeling less valued by their employers."

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As the development and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines sparks hope for the future, airline employees have been put in a uncertain position for the time being. 

Scott Kirby, the CEO of United Airlines, recently remarked that he's considering making the vaccine mandatory for all employees. Competitors Delta, American and Southwest, meanwhile, have suggested that they’ll provide free vaccines for their staff, when it's possible to do so.