CAREER PROSPECTS

The employment prospects of a graduated airline pilot vary from time to time due to the cyclical nature of the industry. For this reason, a graduated pilot needs to be patient and try to build as much flight experience as possible, if the airline seat does not open immediately upon completion of the training.

Low-cost airfares as a growing trend

Low-cost airlines have made air travel an accessible product from the price standpoint for more and more people. Improved standard of living boosts tourism and adds to the desire to travel. The passenger numbers at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport indicate that Asian people are increasingly willing to travel. Many of them continue their journey further from Helsinki-Vantaa.

Air cargo is increasing with the growth of E-commerce

Mail order sales have increased exponentially. The majority of the packages are transported as air freight. Freight carriers (UPS, FedEx, DHL, TNT etc.) have bigger aircraft fleets than what most people think. The career advancement of a cargo pilot may be faster than that of a passenger pilot working for an airline. Similarly, cargo pilots may have easier access to flying bigger aircraft.

Private charter flights and ambulance flights

Private charter flights typically serve business passengers or wealthy individuals, who have to be able to move flexibly according to their own schedules and closer to the actual destination. Private charter travel is developing in a promising manner even in the Nordics, whereas in Central-Europe it is very popular. Ambulance flights are arranged to pick up and deliver injured and ill persons with private aircraft modified for ambulance use.

Become a Flight Instructor

A graduated airline pilot can become a flight instructor by attending a flight instructor course. It qualifies him to operate as an instructor in a flight training organization, which is a proven way to strengthen competence, gather flight experience and get a foot in the door to the industry.

When there is a shortage of pilots, this also means that the career path from copilot to captain is accelerated. Naturally, the official requirements still apply concerning the minimum hours to be logged for obtaining a given license or rating. That is why it is important to be able to amass flying hours and Pilot-in-Command hours as early on in the training as possible.

In addition to Finnair and Norra, at least the following companies rely on pilots whose career started at BF-Lento: Ryanair, Wizz Air, Flydubai, Nordica, Jet Time, TUI Airways, Arcus Air etc.