Florida is famous for its Great beaches, multicultural lifestyle and weather. It was also one of the aviation hot spot for pilots due to lower prices and good weather, which allows rapid time build.
The business of the Florida Flight Schools collapsed just after the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center in New York. When the government established its connection with aviation schools they were very restricted on granting visas to overseas students that wanted to pursue their Aviation Career in the USA.
As a course of action the country closed over 500 flight schools. Among which the impact in Florida flight schools were brutal. Around 50 schools have disappeared; others reduced their activities and lay off teachers. For years, nobody talked about the quality of those schools, of its existence, it was like falling into oblivion.
Not anymore. It is again a thriving industry after one decade and reborn like a phoenix from the ashes. Thousands of applications for admission to these flight schools are coming from all over the world. According to directors of these schools, several factors influenced the revival of the industry. But the major reason lies in the rising global demand for pilots, mostly in Asia, Latin America and Europe.
Since last few years Asia Pacific airlines are leading the global airline industry forward by virtually every metric, be it traffic, fleets, earnings, alliance development or investment. By 2014, Asia Pacific will account for 30% of all passengers, followed by North America at 23%. Of the 800 million new passengers who will fly by then, 360 million of them, or almost half, will be in Asia Pacific and 214 million of those in China alone, according to IATA. A report released in feb-2011 by CAPA INDIA foresees a booming GENERAL AVIATION (GA) sector in India also. The report projects new aircraft sales – business jets, helicopters, turboprops and piston engines – of up to USD12 billion over the next decade. The GA fleet is expected to reach 2000 aircraft. As a result, the demand of trained pilots must also increased by 2020.
Another fact is over the past decade Latin America’s aviation industry has been completely transformed. Led by six financially strong publicly traded airline groups, Latin America now boasts the highest airline profit margin among all regions, surpassing even mighty Asia. Domestic traffic in South America has grown by about 50% since 2008, while growth on international routes within the region has been similarly impressive, establishing Latin America as an industry force to be reckoned with. Intra-Latin America international traffic also has been growing at a rapid pace. According to the latest data from Latin American airline association ALTA, RPKs on international routes within the region grew 11.8% in 1Q2011. High demand for international travel within the region has particularly benefitted Copa, which is the largest operator in the intra-Latin America market. Thus market experts predict the aviation industry will need near about 460,000 new pilots over the next 20 years to meet this huge demand.
According to a study by the aircraft manufacturer Boeing, the airlines plan to buy more than 39,500 aircraft in the next two decades. Only in the U.S., Canada and Mexico will require about 83,000 pilots. China, whose regional airlines are expanding at the speed of light, will require 73,000 pilots. Europe will need 92,000, some 41,000 Latin America and the Middle East, 36,600.
This is the major reason why Florida flight schools reopen after such a collapse. It became the venue of choice for future pilots for good weather, which facilitates training after approx one decade. They launched major advertising campaigns in Europe, Asia and Latin America. At present some around 55,000 foreigners study aviation in Florida. The U.S. government also eased some of the regulations and has facilitated the entry of student visas for two years.
