The pressing problem of pilot shortage in Indonesia -- something that is replicated throughout Asia -- remains unanswered as the growth in demand for flights far exceeds the capacity to train new pilots, local press said on Sep. 10.

The Transportation Ministry has reported that requests for pilots from local and foreign operators to the Indonesian Aviation Institute (STPI) stood at 535 as of June, while the center can only produce 45 in the whole year, reported English daily The Jakarta Post.

There are plans to expand the capacity of the STPI to 120 graduates per year, starting 2008. However, that will still not be enough to meet the growing demand.

Moreover, despite their training at the STPI, the newly graduated pilots cannot directly be employed by the commercial airlines as they only have 180 hours flying time on training aircraft.

"To become a captain, a pilot must have at least 1,500 hours of flying time. However, due to the increasing demand, those who have not achieved that number of hours are appointed as captains when they move to other airlines (from flag carrier Garuda Indonesia)," Garuda captain Rendy Sasmita Adji Wiboto told the newspaper.

Speaking after 33 years of experience, Rendy said that experience was crucial for a pilot as there was much that could not be taught in flight school.

"There is declining tendency in pilot quality these days," he said.

On top of the lack of supply, many experienced pilots are being headhunted by foreign airlines, which offer salaries ranging between US$10,000 and US$15,000 per month -- roughly five times what a pilot earns in Indonesia -- and better working condition.

"Based on my calculations, about 150 Garuda pilots have been lured away by foreign operators," Rendy said.