Recruiting high-calibre Flight Instructors is a significant issue for all Approved Training Organisations (ATOs), especially in the current climate where the airline industry is seeing exponential growth and experiencing an unprecedented demand for pilots. With airlines recruiting at their greatest levels in decades, Flight Instructors, (who are typically highly experienced and qualified pilots), are getting snapped up for First Officer roles.
The direct consequence of which is a distinct lack of qualified Flight Instructors. Flight Instructors are generally only able to teach a maximum of 4 full-time students per annum so if ATOs are to keep up with demand they will need a number of basic and advanced instructors to deliver the training.