The Thai Pilots Association is urging the new government to change the employment policy of some airlines in Thailand that make pilots pay a large sum of money for a job or promotion from co-pilot to captain, as it leads to unfair recruitment and might be harmful to public safety.
"Similar to a doctor, pilot is an occupation that requires a high level of skill as it involves people's lives and safety," said Teerawat Angkasakulkiat, 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 the pay-to-fly employment scheme.
In Thailand, the cost for each pilot could be 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 operational costs as they struggle to ramp up flights and earn revenue at pre-pandemic levels.
As the pay-to-fly scheme is not illegal, he said more airlines are considering pushing these costs onto pilots.
The usual practice was airlines would offer scholarships or cooperate with pilot schools to arrange training courses without additional charges, said Mr Teerawat.
"There is a reason why 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 an eligible amount of 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.
Mr Teerawat said the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand is aware of this problem, but it does not have any mechanism to prevent airlines from collecting payments from pilots, even though the practice could be illegal.
He said the action is clearly violates Section 15 of the Skill Development Promotion Act, which states the 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 aviation industry in 4-5 years if the government does not seek more practical solutions to help 1,736 unemployed pilots get a job.
Under the new Thailand Civil Aviation Regulation, more procedures are required for pilots to receive 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 for flight training purposes would benefit the whole industry in the long run.