In February 2020, the government announced that since 2008/2009, South African Airways had incurred net losses of more than R32 billion, reports IOL. That was before COVID-19 hit South Africa.
A series of unfortunate events have since then left some 800 airline pilots in the country unemployed.
Hundreds of South African pilots are unemployed.
‘Airline pilots are in dire straits,’ says Brian Wasmuth, managing partner of The Human Capital Group, a recruitment and business management agency. ‘None of them have received any separation packages from SAA or SAX; it’s as if they’ve just been abandoned and frankly, it seems as if there may be some malice toward them.’
However, he added that pilots will be apt for a number of different professions with their skill sets, as many have been forced to find new work.
‘They are highly-qualified individuals with professional academic qualifications. These diverse skills are not only applicable in the global aviation industry but are actually transferable to non-aviation sectors of commerce and industry in any global economy.’
Fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), engineering, manufacturing, agriculture, risk management, supply chain and procurement, logistics, transport, maintenance, project management, hospitality, tourism, health and safety, financial services, IT, administration, and facilities management, among other trades are some of the options Wasmuth suggest.
‘Pilots have excellent leadership skills, management skills, and risk management skills. They need to have well-developed analytical skills, including problem analysis and problem solving.’
Source: Biz News
Picture: Pexels
