Lindsay Grant

Principal, Oliver Wyman

Lindsay Grant is a North American based Principal in Oliver Wyman’s Transportation and Services practice. She advises global airlines on their strategic and operational challenges with a specific focus within the front line operational efficiency and flight operations strategy. Lindsay is a key contributor to the Oliver Wyman Flight Operations BRIEF that examines global trends and the most pressing issues facing Flight Operations departments worldwide. In addition, Lindsay leads the team that develops the annual Oliver Wyman Pilot Supply and Demand forecast model.

How the Pilot Shortage is Changing the Pilot Workforce and What That Means as Carriers Grow

As the aviation industry has continued to rapidly grow post-Covid, staffing shortages have emerged as a key breakpoint for airlines around the world. In North America, that shortage has focused on pilots, in other parts of the world, it has been driven more by other positions (cabin crew, ATC, etc.). However, overall pilot supply is anticipated to become more constrained over the next several years as global air travel demand continues to grow. Oliver Wyman is the industry leader in forecasting the global pilot shortage, having first estimated a potential shortage in 1H 2020. Over the last three years, we have seen first-hand how this has impacted airline operations and expect it to drive further impacts as regional shortages emerge in Europe and the Middle East.

During this session, Lindsay Grant will speak about the latest estimates around where it is next expected to emerge, what airlines have done and can do to shore up pilot pipeline, and where the industry will go from here. This discussion will also leverage insights from our flight operations research, which covers a variety of topics including recruitment, retention, engagement, and training.