The Thai Pilots Association is urging the new government to crack down on airlines in Thailand that make pilots pay a large sum of money for a job or promotion, as it leads to unfair recruitment and might be harmful to public safety.
“Similar to a doctor, being a pilot is an occupation that requires a high level of skill as it involves people’s lives and safety,” said Teerawat Angkasakulkiat, the president of the association.
“The pay-to-fly programme adopted by some airlines is unfair for those who practise high standards, but cannot comply with this rule. Even worse, it could increase pressure on pilots.”
Post-pandemic, many global airlines and a few in Thailand have adopted pay-to-fly employment schemes.
Pay-to-fly is a common aviation industry practice under which pilots pay to fly an aircraft, instead of receiving a salary. It has advantages for pilots who want more flying hours to gain experience and ratings on specific aircraft types to increase their employability.
Pilots may also pay to be a first or second officer, flying for a set number of hours under the supervision of a captain.
In Thailand, a pilot could pay up to 6 million baht, comprising training for a licence and a type-rating training to command a specific aircraft model.
Mr Teerawat said many airlines are trying to cut their operating costs as they struggle to ramp up flights and earn revenue at pre-pandemic levels.
The pay-to-fly scheme is not illegal, so more airlines are considering pushing these costs onto pilots, he said.
The usual practice was that airlines would offer scholarships or cooperate with pilot schools to arrange training courses without additional charges, said Mr Teerawat.
“There is a reason why being a pilot is a lucrative job. Our job prioritises safety, which means the mental condition of pilots is one of the most important factors for flight safety. We need to work without financial stress,” he said.
“However, the spread of pay-to-fly schemes might destroy this principle.”
Some airlines now ask first officers (co-pilots) who have sufficient flight hours to become captains to pay at least 870,000 baht for the promotion, with those unable to pay told to wait in line, said Mr Teerawat.
A number of pilots have agreed to work under this unfair condition because they want to build up their experience before switching to other airlines in the future, he said.
Regulator's hands tied
Mr Teerawat said the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand is aware of the problem, but it does not have any mechanism to prevent airlines from collecting payments from pilots.
In his view, the practice clearly violates Section 15 of the Skill Development Promotion Act, which states that a training operator shall not request or receive fees or any form of compensation related to the training of labour.
Though there are 3,000 active pilots with airlines in Thailand, Mr Teerawat said this number might be insufficient for the industry in 4-5 years if the government does not seek more practical solutions to help 1,736 unemployed pilots get jobs.
Under the new Thailand Civil Aviation Regulation, more procedures are required for pilots to obtain licences, while there are not enough instructor pilots in the country right now.
He said pilots and instructors are usually required to earn a Class 1 medical certificate to fly an airplane, which is valid for a year.
However, there are many retired captains who have not extended their certificates, but still have the skills and experience to conduct flight training.
Mr Teerawat said exempting the certificate requirement for flight training purposes would benefit the whole industry in the long run.