One of the issues highlighted in a report to city council for Tuesday’s meeting is a pilot shortage in Canada.
The report from the Sault Ste. Marie Airport Development Corporation highlights its successes as well as challenges as passenger numbers at the local airport have been on the rise over the past seven years.
It is estimated that Canada will be 3-thousand pilots short by 2025.
One of the commitments made by the Local Airport Development Corporation is to work with Sault College.
The report states that 40% of aviation students are foreign students and leave and there’s a need for an increase of at least 300 more licenced pilots per year.
Sault College will be expanding its program with plans calling for a 10% increase in students per year for a five year period starting in 2020.
This will increase the intake into the program from 100 students per year to 150.