When an airline collapses, the ripple effect is instant.
In recent weeks, PLAY, Eastern Airways, and Braathens have all gone into administration. Three very different operators, in three different regions, but all with the same outcome: hundreds of trained, current flight crew suddenly out of work and back on the open market.
It sounds like good news for recruiters. A fresh injection of qualified pilots into a sector that’s spent years battling a so-called ‘pilot shortage’. On paper, it should ease the pressure on talent teams everywhere. But it won’t. Because the problem in aviation recruitment has never just been supply. It’s about attraction.
The Reality Behind the ‘Shortage’
Every airline right now is hiring, due to fleet expansion, post-pandemic recovery, seasonal ramp-ups, and many other reasons. There’s never been more movement in the market.
Yet when hundreds of skilled pilots suddenly become available, not every airline gets a look-in. Some receive an influx of CVs within days. Others post the same roles, with the same requirements, and hear nothing.
Why?
Because pilots talk.
Their real perception of your brand isn’t shaped by your careers page or your job ads; it’s shaped by conversations happening in WhatsApp groups, Facebook communities, and Reddit threads you’ll never see.
That’s where reputations are built and broken. It’s where candidates share which airlines actually look after their crew, who pays fairly, who communicates transparently, and who leaves people hanging.
The ‘pilot shortage’ is really a trust shortage.
What Makes Pilots Choose One Airline Over Another?
Money still matters. But it’s not everything.
A320-rated captains and FOs displaced by PLAY or Braathens aren’t desperate; they're discerning. They’ll evaluate every factor before committing to another cockpit: base location, rosters, commuting rules, pay transparency, progression, and culture. What’s changing is the weight of those factors.
Lifestyle, communication, and reputation now carry the same importance as salary. Pilots want to know what life really feels like beyond the uniform, and that information doesn’t come from job descriptions. It comes from people already inside the organisation.
The Power of Genuine Advocacy
In the latest episode of the InAviation podcast (coming soon), British Airways Euroflyer First Officer Ryan talks candidly about his experience at the airline. No PR talking points. No company briefing. Just an honest reflection on his role, his team, and the pride he feels wearing the BA wings.
It’s a perfect example of authentic employer branding, the kind you can’t manufacture or script.
Because that one clip of genuine enthusiasm does more for BA’s reputation among pilots than a year’s worth of sponsored LinkedIn posts. It’s proof that culture communicates itself when it’s real. And that’s what today’s aviation candidates are listening for.
You Can’t Fake This
Here’s the uncomfortable truth: you can’t fake advocacy.
You can’t bring it into existence. You can’t tell your pilots to “go post something nice about us.” If you try, people see through it instantly, and you’ll look more desperate than credible.
The only way to build a reputation, pilots believe, is to earn it. That means being open to criticism. Letting your people speak freely.
Encouraging stories, even imperfect ones, because that’s what makes them believable. If your culture is genuine, you don’t need to control the message. You just need to give it space to breathe. But that also means being brave enough to listen when what you hear isn’t flattering. Because when you get this right, the result isn’t a marketing campaign, it's word of mouth at scale.
That’s how BA Euroflyer ended up with an unplanned moment of gold on a podcast, not through scripting, but through satisfaction.
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Recruitment Doesn’t Equal HR Anymore
Hiring in aviation has become a blend of HR, PR, comms, and sales. It’s no longer about filling jobs; it’s about telling a story people believe.
If your people wouldn’t recommend your airline to a friend, no amount of paid advertising will fix that. If they would, you’ve already won. Because in 2025, the real competition for pilots won’t be fought in job ads. It’ll be won in conversations you’re not even part of.
Hear it for yourself!
Catch InAviation Episode 5 with BA Euroflyer First Officer Ryan, where he shares his completely unprompted opinion on what makes a great employer in aviation today.
Coming soon!
