On the 28th’s Rose Cafe, we met with Mike Comella, an experienced pilot currently flying for Delta. Mike was able to give us an idea of what we cannot see in the plane that ensures its smooth operations. From protections against turbulence to keeping pilots rested and prepared, Mike ensured that safety is a priority in the airline industry. However, I was shocked to discover the low starting salary for pilots. After years of meticulous training, flying, and losing income, pilots are subjected to wages drastically below the necessary input to get the job.
My worry is that airlines are placing a large emphasis on safety, which they should, but are greatly ignoring the individual needs of pilots. While policies protecting safety help, having attentive and job-satisfied pilots can also increase overall safety.
Maybe it’s time for airlines to appreciate their pilots more. Although they pamper and safeguard their source of profit (us), airlines are forgetting about the service they provide– and the wellbeing of who provides it.
Hey there! I always wanted to be a pilot actually. When I was younger my mom would take me to our balcony which overlooked the airport in Singapore. Planes just fascinate me, how do they even stay up in the air? (Clearly, I am not a physics major.) I even memorized the US airways safety procedure at one point in my life, back when US Air was an actual company. I am actually very surprised hearing about the low starting salary because in class we learned that often, pilots have high salaries because they are heavily unionized. These contracts tend to break when an airline goes bankrupt, which, frankly, happens quite often. I definitely think the qualitative aspect of appreciating pilots is important. I just think it should be an additional thing rather than the main focus which is currently safety.