Pilot shortage threatens Japan's tourism goal

As record numbers of tourists flock to Japan for its world-renowned hospitality, exceptional sushi and ancient shrines, the country's airlines are facing a severe shortage of pilots.

And finding them will not be easy.

Japan currently has about 7,100 pilots, and the government projects another 1,000 will be needed by 2030 to help meet its target of attracting some 60 million tourists that year. In an acknowledgement that may mean looking outside for talent, measures being considered by a panel set up by the Transport Ministry earlier in 2024 include converting foreign pilots' licences to Japanese ones at a faster and cheaper rate.

But there are several reasons why hiring pilots from overseas is not proving easy. There is opposi tion from local unions, and carriers in Japan typically pay less than airlines elsewhere. Compounding the shortage, many airline captains, currently in their 50s, are set to retire by around 2030, according to the ministry.

"Major airlines will have to revise their internal operational processes to accommodate non-Japanesespeaking pilots," said Mr Nobuhito Abe, a partner and the Asia-Pacific lead of aerospace and industrials at Kearney. Japanese carriers still have "very domestic internal processes", he said.