President’s Message
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
It’s hard to believe that just 2 years ago many in our industry were facing flight department shutdowns, work furloughs, and layoffs. Flight departments were quickly idled, and most aircraft remained parked. It was a difficult time, full of worry and uncertainty for people and aviation companies alike. Fast forward two years and what is happening is unprecedented. Throughout my career, there was always talk of the impending pilot and mechanic shortage. No one could have imagined that this shortage would one day begin from a global pandemic that nearly collapsed the industry. Companies are finding it challenging to keep up with the demand of aviation professionals needed to support their businesses. This brings great opportunity for the aviation professional. Salaries are on the rise and workers are exploring new opportunities with better work life balance which was historically non existent. Regulatory agencies are being asked to reevaluate policy in order to properly staff departments as air travel demands continues to grow. Airlines and NBAA both acknowledge that recruitment efforts need to improve. It’s estimated that “over the next 20 years there will be a need for 600,000 new pilots, maintenance technicians, and other support professionals” according to an Oliver Wyman report, https://www.oliverwyman.com/our-expertise/insights/2023/jan/not-enough-aviation-mechanics.html .
For those of us living on Long Island, recruitment is more difficult given our high cost of living. One glimmer of hope is that according to our local resources at our tech schools and every flight school on Long Island enrollment is at its highest levels in years! Several airports on Long Island have build new hangars to accommodate the significant increase of aircraft moving into our area due to overcrowding and exorbitant hangar costs at White Plains and Teterboro Airports.
On a separate note, LIBAA’s annual golf event at Rock Hill country club will be held on May 24th. It is always a great time to see old friends, have some fun and network. Please email Doris if you would like to attend or help with this event at doris@libaa.org . Last year’s fall networking event was held at Top Golf and thoroughly enjoyed by all! Feel free to check out our photo gallery on the LIBAA page to see what we’ve been up to! If you’re interested in becoming a committee member for LIBAA, please let us know. We have a variety of committees ranging from government affairs, career development, industry news and more. It’s a great way to network, have some fun, expand your skills, and use your experience to advance local aviation causes. If you ready to give back to our industry, reach out to any board member and tell them you’re interested.
From all of us at LIBAA, we wish you, your family and friends good health, happiness, and prosperity in 2023 and years to come.
Joe
Joe Loccisano
President, LIBAA
