美国空军面临飞行员短缺问题

AS IT IS 2016-03-14 US Running Out of Pilots 美国空军面临飞行员短缺问题

Regional airlines in the United States are short of pilots.

Many older airline pilots are retiring. Federal¹ regulations require pilots to take time off between flights to rest. Pilots are staying at their jobs overseas and in the military.

Republic Airways², a regional airline, filed for bankruptcy³ last week. Low profit and the pilot shortage⁴ were factors in the bankruptcy, according to the Associated Press.

Also, America’s largest airlines are hiring pilots from regional airlines. There are too few pilots to fill the vacancies⁵. Some openings are being filled through flight schools. But flight school attendance⁶ is down. That means trained pilots are difficult to locate.

Salaries for new pilots are low. The starting salary for first officers in the regional airline industry is $22,400, according to The Los Angeles Times. That salary is keeping pilots in the military and working for foreign competitors.

Captain Lee Moak is past president of Air Line Pilots Association⁷ International. He told The Los Angeles Times that “there is a shortage of pay and benefits for pilots in the regional airlines industry, not a shortage of pilots.” 

A lack of active pilots could hurt the future United States economy. In the next 20 years, the supply of pilots to fly passengers will meet just two-thirds of the demand, according to Forbes magazine.

A lack of pilots at regional airlines will mean less business and lower revenue⁸. Fares will be higher, while routes will be fewer.

Words in This Story

airline – n. a company that owns and operates many passenger airplanes

bankruptcy – n. a condition of financial failure caused by not having the money that you need to pay your debts

vacancies – n. jobs or positions that are available

fare – n. the money a person pays to travel on an airplane, train or other vehicle

regulations - n. rules

salary - n. the amount of money an employee is paid each year

1 federal   

adj.联盟的；联邦的；(美国)联邦政府的

参考例句：

• Switzerland is a federal republic.瑞士是一个联邦共和国。
• The schools are screaming for federal aid.那些学校强烈要求联邦政府的援助。

2 AIRWAYS   

航空公司

参考例句：

• The giant jets that increasingly dominate the world's airways. 越来越称雄于世界航线的巨型喷气机。
• At one point the company bought from Nippon Airways a 727 jet. 有一次公司从日本航空公司买了一架727型喷气机。

3 bankruptcy   

n.破产；无偿付能力

参考例句：

• You will have to pull in if you want to escape bankruptcy.如果你想避免破产，就必须节省开支。
• His firm is just on thin ice of bankruptcy.他的商号正面临破产的危险。

4 shortage   

n.缺少，缺乏，不足

参考例句：

• The city is suffering a desperate shortage of water.这个城市严重缺水。
• The heart of the problem is a shortage of funds.问题的关键是缺乏经费。

5 vacancies   

n.空房间( vacancy的名词复数 )；空虚；空白；空缺

参考例句：

• job vacancies 职位空缺
• The sign outside the motel said \"No Vacancies\". 汽车旅馆外的招牌显示“客满”。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 attendance   

n.出席，出席人数，护理，照料

参考例句：

• The attendance of this class never dropped off.这个班的出席人数从未下降。
• The young man danced attendance on his rich aunt.这个年轻人小心侍候他有钱的姑妈。

7 association   

n.联盟，协会，社团；交往，联合；联想

参考例句：

• Our long association with your company has brought great benefits.我方和贵公司的长期合作带来了巨大的利益。
• I broke away from the association ten years ago.我10年前就脱离了那个团体。

8 revenue   

n.总收入，财政收入，税收；税务局

参考例句：

• The country diminished the revenue by reducing tax.这个国家通过减税而使税收减少了。
• A government's revenue and expenditure should be balanced.政府的财政收入和支出要平衡。