“I started talking about the pilot shortage in 2011,” she says. “I had an NBAA conference and said it’s coming. Thank God they didn’t have tomatoes in the audience because I got heckled.” IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT MONEY But something else is at play beyond compensation, according to Barden. She maintains the only way the business aviation departments can compete is not only with salary dollars but, in fact, lifestyle and culture perks. “One of the reasons why people stay [with airlines] is culture,” she says. “Culture makes someone look forward to bringing their A game to work every day, and that starts with leadership. It’s a little bit of everything— competitive pay, adequate time off, and a gratifying work environment.” She believes those three elements prove to be instrumental in retaining the existing talent and attracting the next generation of aviation professionals. Barden also sees a nuanced challenge on the horizon— the growing polarization within the workforce that has been spurred by differing COVID vaccination stances and political affiliations. She fears this schism might reappear as the nation steers into another election cycle, potentially stirring the pot within flight departments.
pay disparity among different roles within the business aviation sector. Particularly, Barden is concerned about the comparatively sluggish compensation growth for maintenance technicians, schedulers, and dispatchers—a trend that could potentially alienate these indispensable cogs in aviation’s machinery. “That’s where I worry,” Barden says. “The people in the cabin, the flight attendants, and the pilots have gone up significantly, but for the people who make it work every day, they have not gone up [in pay] to that degree. Maintenance increased 23 percent in eight years [compared to 59 percent for pilots]. Schedulers and dispatchers went up 33 percent... and they were the two lower-paid ones.” She argues that the disproportionate rise in compensation could instigate a feeling of being undervalued among these professionals, potentially driving them toward other lucrative industries. Discussing the strategies to combat the talent drain, Barden mentions a Fortune 50 company’s initiative to nurture talent right from the grassroots. She says some companies are moving their maintenance technicians into higher-level jobs with different titles, allowing them to earn more by doing more. She also points out the importance of rethinking hiring strategies to replenish the aging maintenance workforce, which is heavily skewed toward the older age spectrum. This proactive approach, according to Barden, is pivotal to ensure a steady influx of fresh talent to keep the business aviation sector humming. Furthermore, Barden
Her advice? “Stop the chatter.” NOT ALL ARE BENEFITING
But only some workers in flight departments see the upside of this new pay bonanza. Barden notes the glaring
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