Partnering with a flight safety foundation will ensure a shortage no more.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the U.S.-based Flight Safety Foundation (FSF) announced a new partnership to tackle the global shortage in pilots, engineers and maintenance certification staff.  
 
Effective immediately, FSF will join the IATA Training and Qualification Initiative (ITQI), launched in December 2007, to review the shortage of skilled staff and develop a roadmap and strategy. 

In addition to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and other key industry stakeholders, FSF will join the ITQI governing board and participate in the management and projects of the ITQI team.

"We welcome the Flight Safety Foundation to the ITQI team as its expertise will help us tackle this problem in all areas of the aviation industry.  A team approach is crucial to raise awareness about the shortage, increase training capacity and work aggressively to develop global standards," said Giovanni Bisignani, IATA's Director General and CEO. 

The partnership was announced at IATA's OPS Forum where some 800 industry decision makers discussed aviation's top priorities such as safety, security and the environment.

FSF, in coordination with the ITQI team will work to maintain high qualification standards to enhance safety in times of high demand.  One of the objectives of this joint effort will be to identify industry best practices in the area of selection and training that could be used to offset the potential risks associated with the shortage.

"The Flight Safety Foundation is pleased to join forces with IATA to take on this critical challenge.  The shortage of qualified personnel will impact all segments of the aviation industry in all parts of the world.  We will bring our broad aviation perspective to the table to help ensure that all segments of the aviation industry can enjoy a safe and orderly expansion in the years ahead," said William Voss, President & CEO of FSF.

The global airline fleet is estimated to grow by 17,000 aircraft by 2020 and if the situation is not remedied, the airline industry will face a shortage of more than 42,000 pilots. FSF will work closely with IATA to make senior government officials aware of the serious problems that can occur if there are not enough qualified government safety personnel to oversee this rapid industry expansion.