Fair Agreements for Canadian Pilots

The Pilot Shortage Myth

The path to the right seat
New pilots in Canada are facing a serious imbalance between what it takes to enter this profession and what many employers are prepared to offer in return. The story we keep hearing about a “pilot shortage” misses the central truth: this is fundamentally a pay and conditions problem, not a talent problem.
To begin, new pilots must log a minimum of roughly 250 hours to obtain a commercial licence, often at a cost approaching 100,000–120,000 dollars when you include aircraft rental, instruction, and associated expenses. After that, they typically spend years in low‑paid, high‑stress roles, building time to reach the experience levels that larger carriers demand. For many, that means carrying heavy financial risk well into their careers before they see anything close to the income the public imagines pilots receive from day one. We have also seen pilot cadet programs that produce fully capable candidates for commercial operations. While they may not spend time building time at a smaller charter company, their debt burden remains the same. 

A Word on Foreign Hiring 
It is unacceptable that airlines turn to temporary foreign worker programs while Canadian pilots remain underemployed or pushed into marginal jobs with marginal pay. There is no shortage of Canadian pilots who are trained, capable, and ready to work; what’s missing is a willingness by most employers to offer compensation and stability that reflect the investment and responsibility involved. When companies bypass local pilots and seek foreign crews instead, they are telling us they would rather search the globe for cheaper or more flexible labour than pay market‑rate wages here at home. Government data show repeated applications by Canadian airlines to bring in foreign pilots, even as domestic pilots report difficulty finding roles that cover basic living costs and training debt. Labour leaders and industry analysts point out that operators paying competitive, “evolving market” wages are not the ones claiming they cannot find pilots; their positions are filled because pilots move toward better pay, better contracts, and better quality of life. This is reinforced by public criticism of over‑reliance on foreign worker programs, which many Canadians now view as a mechanism to hold down wages rather than a last‑resort response to a genuine shortage.

Pilot Movement
We also know that pilots consistently leave lower‑paying operators for airlines that are prepared to invest in their people. Larger carriers that have negotiated stronger contracts and higher wages draw in experienced captains and first officers as soon as they meet hiring minimums. Carriers unwilling to match those improvements find themselves acting as training grounds—spending time and money onboarding new pilots, only to lose them as soon as better opportunities open up.

The Truth
When we hear our employers emphasizing the “pilot shortage,” it does not mean there are no pilots; it means there are not enough pilots willing to work for what some employers want to pay. If airlines want stable staffing, safer operations, and a sustainable pipeline of new entrants, the solution is straightforward: pay pilots adequately, respect the cost and time it takes to join this profession, and build contracts that include quality of life conditions that make staying in Canada—and staying with their airline—the preferred choice.

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