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GATHER ROUND: Delegates attending the MPL forum discussed several issues, including addressing the pilots shortage.

Pilots and flight academy delegates congregated in Aqaba two months ago for the Middle East's first Multi-Crew Pilot Licence forum.

As global airlines continue to expand, the shortage of qualified pilots is becoming more apparent. With the global aviation industry expecting 17,000 aircraft during the next 12 years, a solution to the problem is urgently required.

Captain Chris Schroeder, head of global flight operations at the International Air Transport Association (IATA) says: "Fleet growth and fluctuation will require approximately 235,000 additional pilots until 2020, which equals to more than 19,000 pilots annually." To address the problem IATA has launched a training and qualification initiative (ITQI).

The project will focus on several key areas, including teaching standards, safety, guidelines for staff recruitment and training equipment configuration. According to IATA's management, the pilots shortage could have severe ramifications, particularly for safety.

"The shortage of qualified, licensed pilots could have an effect on sustainable growth," Schroeder says. "There is a potential risk of a drop in quality and standards due to the high demand."

In addition, he argues having various syllables for different training schemes has a negative impact on flight safety. Captain Dieter Harms, IATA senior advisor, believes the new Multi-Crew Pilot Licence (MPL) was not developed as a counter measure to the pilot shortage.

"In 2002, when the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Flight Crew Licensing and Training Panel (FCLTP) first developed the scheme there wasn't a problem because of oil and the after affects of 9/11," says Harms. Instead he believes the MPL was introduced to improve the quality of pilot training worldwide. The licence, which enables the holder to perform co-pilot duties on multi-crew aircraft, is designed to complement rather than replace existing training programmes.

Advocators of the licence argue it offers higher levels of safety, which according to IATA is the number one priority for flight academies. By incorporating specific risk control measures into the syllabus, safety issues can be more carefully monitored. In addition, the course puts greater emphasis on flight simulators, allowing pilots to train for dangerous scenarios in safe surroundings.

At present, there are four flight schools that have implemented MPL, including Denmark's Centre Air Pilot Academy (CAPA), Alteon Boeing, Lufthansa Flight Training and Swiss Aviation Training. Aqaba-based Ayla Aviation Academy, which plans to adopt the programme later this year, has already begun tailoring its current courses accordingly. The MPL licence training is split into four modules and requires 240 hours flying time in aircraft or simulators.

Firstly, trainees undergo the core skills flying phase, where students learn to fly an aircraft as a single pilot. This stage, which is similar to the private pilot licence syllabus, teaches pupils fundamental aeronautical knowledge.

The basic phase follows, introducing an advanced technology training module that focuses on multi-crew operations. Once this stage is complete students continue to the intermediate phase, focusing on instrument flight rules (IFR) where pilots learn to operate their aircraft using digital data. Developed as an alternative to visual flight rules (VFR), IFR enables the pilot to fly even when visibility is low. Finally students continue to the advanced phase where they specialise with one aircraft type.

Academies planning to hold MPL courses have to secure International Civil Aviation Organization approval by satisfying the industry body's stringent criteria. They also have to continually monitor the course and assess students' performance during the licence programme.

Chris Long, managing director of Aktual Aviation Consultancy, says using sophisticated training techniques in MPL training will help develop more experienced pilots. However, Long also acknowledges the need for academies to fine-tune their respective programmes.

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