The pay has begun to improve drastically over the last three years or so, but all that is doing is pulling people up from the lower rungs.
Local service airlines, and low cost freight providers are really just now starting to really feel the shortage.
The lack of entry into the training pipeline has also led to severe shortage in training instructors, as well. Even if you want to fly, trading slots are limited. As soon as an instructor makes the minimum regulated hours needed, they are off to the regionals for a lot more money.
Sometimes that very same day.
>>Even if you want to fly, trading [I assume you meant training] slots are limited.
Delta flight ops in ATL used to be very generous with granting simulator time to charities to auction off at fundraiser galas. I’m hearing those days are gone, that all available time is allocated for flight training. We got time in a 777 simulator about 3-1/2 years ago this way.