INDUSTRY FACTS AND FIGURES

Aircraft in service as of November 1999

727-100 281 aircraft
727-200 959 aircraft
737-200 847 aircraft
737-300 584 aircraft
737-400 475 aircraft
747-200 345 aircraft
747-400 494 aircraft
757-200 856 aircraft
767-300 524 aircraft
airbus A320 751 aircraft
antonov an-22 546 aircraft
antonov an-26 321 aircraft
Ilyushin IL-76 308 aircraft
Tupolev TU-134 362 aircraft
Tupolev TU-154 628 aircraft
Yakovlev YAK-40 526 aircraft

Each aircraft requires approximately 5 crews per aircraft.

According to the Air transport Association of Canada, by the year 2017, there will be nearly three times as many air travelers as there are today. The number of jetliners with at least 70 seats will increase from 9,700 to 17,900 by the year 2017. An additional 8,500 older, noisier and less economic aircraft need to be replaced, further increasing training demand as pilots are required to upgrade type ratings. Currently, KPMG forecasts the world demand for new pilots at 20,000 per year.

Demand for pilot training is already straining the global training capacity. As airlines increase their fleets, they need to hire additional pilots. Each additional jetliner requires six additional crews. Crews consist of a pilot and co-pilot and regulations stipulate that crew members be re-certified every six months.