Most of the World’s Pilots Are No Longer Flying for a Living

  • Coronavirus pandemic has devastated global aviation industry
  • Nearly 50% of poll respondents now unemployed or furloughed

Photographer: Spencer Platt/Getty Images

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More than half of the world’s airline pilots are no longer flying for a living, according to a worldwide survey highlighting how the Covid-19 pandemic has devastated the profession.

The Pilot Survey 2021, by aviation recruitment firm Goose and publisher FlightGlobal, showed just 43% of pilots remain in their job. The October poll covered almost 2,600 flight crew worldwide.