And here we are in 2023. After the pandemic, many of the thousands of pilots who had been grounded did not return to flight decks. Two factors – both triggered by Covid - combined to create a huge airline pilot shortage: 1) A scheduled surge of retirements, most obvious in the US. 2) Closure (without students or any government support) for many primary (ab initio) training schools delivering professional licences. 17 October 2023