Defence Minister Aguiar-Branco faces an uncomfortable meeting on Wednesday (June 25) when the predictions of Air Force chief Araújo Pinheiro look like coming home to roost.
Pinheiro warned months ago that the Portuguese Air Force was in danger of losing its ‘operational capacity’ due to the fact that experienced pilots are leaving in droves – and young ones in the system are simply not ready to take over.
The problem is exacerbated by the crisis.
As the Resident reported in its February 20 edition, many young pilots have not flown in years because budget cuts make training in the air impossible.
Some are trained on flight simulators, while others are bounced over to desk jobs.
As one young pilot told Público earlier this year, “the Portuguese Air Force spent a fortune on my training and removed the job I was contracted to do more than two years ago. I still have a further two years of the contract to run, and I will not fly at all until the end of it, for certain. I am now performing an administrative job”.
Pinheiro highlighted the problems of the service, explaining the experienced flyers were all being wooed by commercial airlines “where salaries are more attractive”.
Wednesday’s meeting in Parliament is due to hear the latest developments, which centre on the “delicate situation” regarding search and rescue operations, now that more pilots have transferred to the private sector.
