Compensation, recruitment and work-life balance are among the biggest workforce challenges facing business aviation flight departments, according to a new survey from Aviation Personnel International (API). The survey found that 45% of Part 91 flight department leaders identified compensation and benefits as a major concern over the next one to three years, while 74% said pay and benefits have the greatest impact on employee retention. The findings highlight how aviation employers must address compensation, scheduling, workplace culture and leadership development to attract and retain qualified professionals.
The survey asked Part 91 flight department leaders about their biggest workforce challenges over the next one to three years. Forty-five percent identified compensation and benefits as a major concern. Recruiting qualified aviation professionals and managing work schedule expectations and work-life balance tied for second place, at 39% each.
Developing future leaders and talent ranked next at 38%, followed by retaining current employees at 36%.
The findings suggest that aviation employers face a combination of compensation pressures, recruitment challenges and longer-term workforce development needs. Addressing these issues may require more than increasing salaries, particularly when job responsibilities, scheduling expectations and career opportunities also influence employees’ decisions to stay.
The survey was released as API marks its 55th anniversary at the NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE).
Retention depends on more than salary
Compensation remains a central consideration when aviation leaders assess employee retention. In API’s survey, 74% of respondents selected compensation and benefits as factors with the greatest impact on keeping employees.
Schedule predictability and time off ranked second, at 54%, while department culture was identified by 44%.
These results point to a broader employee experience challenge. Competitive pay can help employers attract and retain aviation professionals, but unpredictable schedules and workplace culture may also influence whether employees remain in their roles.
For HR teams, the findings reinforce the importance of evaluating compensation alongside working conditions and organizational practices. Benefits, time off, scheduling arrangements and the way employees experience their department can all form part of a retention strategy.
Sheryl Barden, chief executive officer of API, said leaders want to understand market pay rates and whether their employees are compensated fairly. She also noted that responsibilities can expand over time without corresponding changes to job titles or salaries.
That mismatch can create challenges for compensation benchmarking. A job description may no longer accurately reflect the work an employee performs, making it harder for employers to assess whether compensation is competitive or aligned with actual responsibilities.
Regular reviews of job scope, role definitions and pay structures can help HR teams identify these discrepancies before they contribute to dissatisfaction or turnover.
Recruitment and leadership development remain priorities
Recruiting qualified aviation professionals was a concern for 39% of surveyed leaders, matching the proportion who identified work schedule expectations and work-life balance.
Another 38% highlighted the development of future leaders and talent. These priorities indicate that employers are thinking beyond immediate vacancies toward the long-term sustainability of their teams.
Recruitment alone may not resolve workforce shortages if organizations struggle to retain experienced employees or prepare the next generation of leaders. Internal development, succession planning and clearer career pathways can help employers build capability while reducing reliance on external hiring.
For flight departments, leadership development also has to account for the specific demands of business aviation, where operational responsibilities, technical qualifications and coordination within small teams can shape workforce requirements.
Jennifer E. Pickerel, president of API, said flight department leaders seek guidance on issues including upcoming retirements, employee concerns and unfamiliar workforce situations. Her comments highlight the advisory role that specialist HR providers can play when organizations need support beyond recruitment.
Psychological safety and workplace culture
API is addressing workplace culture and compensation in two educational sessions at NBAA-BACE.
On October 21, Pickerel is scheduled to moderate a panel titled “What Goes Unsaid: Psychological Safety and the Risks Leaders Miss.” The discussion focuses on why employees may hesitate to raise concerns, why managers may not hear them and how that communication gap can affect safety and daily operations.
On October 22, Barden will join Chris Broyhill of AirComp Calculator for “Beyond the Survey: Decoding Job Titles, Roles and Compensation Trends.” The session will examine compensation benchmarking, changing job responsibilities and situations in which written job descriptions no longer match actual work.
Both sessions are scheduled for 11 a.m. to noon in Room W219.
Psychological safety is particularly relevant in environments where employees need to communicate concerns, report problems and coordinate operational responsibilities. A workplace in which people feel unable to speak openly may make it harder for leaders to identify issues before they affect employee wellbeing or operations.
For HR leaders, gathering feedback is only one part of the process. Organizations also need ways to respond to concerns, communicate decisions and demonstrate that employee input can lead to meaningful action.
API expands beyond traditional recruitment
Founded in 1971 by industrial psychologist Janice K. Barden, API developed an approach to aviation recruitment that considered both technical qualifications and the match between an individual and an organization.
The company subsequently expanded into aviation outplacement, compensation consulting and customized benchmarking. Its API WorkWell program focuses on organizational health, workplace culture and employee engagement.
API says it has worked with more than 1,000 flight departments during its history.
The expansion reflects a broader role for specialist HR providers: helping employers address the workforce conditions that influence hiring, performance and retention, rather than focusing exclusively on filling vacancies.
A broader workforce strategy for business aviation
API’s survey indicates that business aviation employers are balancing several interconnected workforce priorities. Compensation is prominent, but scheduling, recruitment, succession planning and department culture also feature in leaders’ concerns.
The findings should be interpreted within the limits of the available information: API did not disclose the survey’s sample size or detailed methodology in the supplied announcement, so the percentages should not be treated as representative of every business aviation employer.
Even so, the results offer a useful view of the challenges reported by the surveyed leaders. For HR teams, the practical implication is to assess compensation alongside role design, working conditions, leadership development and employee feedback.
As aviation employers compete for qualified talent, retention may depend on whether they can create roles that remain attractive as responsibilities and workforce expectations evolve.
Market Landscape
Business aviation workforce management combines specialist recruitment with compensation benchmarking, succession planning and employee engagement. API’s survey highlights the interconnected nature of these challenges, with pay, work schedules and talent development all featuring among respondents’ concerns.
For HR leaders, the findings suggest three priorities:
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Compensation transparency: Keep salary structures aligned with market conditions and actual job responsibilities.
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Employee retention: Consider schedule predictability, time off and workplace culture alongside pay and benefits.
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Long-term capability: Develop future leaders and plan for retirements rather than relying exclusively on external recruitment.
The survey’s sample size and methodology were not provided in the supplied release. Its findings should therefore be attributed to API rather than generalized across the entire aviation workforce.
Top Insights
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Compensation leads: 45% of surveyed Part 91 flight department leaders identified pay and benefits as a major workforce concern.
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Retention is multifaceted: 74% cited compensation and benefits as retention factors, followed by schedule predictability and time off at 54%.
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Recruitment remains difficult: 39% identified recruiting qualified aviation professionals as a key concern over the next one to three years.
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Leadership development matters: 38% highlighted developing future leaders and talent, pointing to the importance of succession planning.
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Culture affects workforce management: 44% identified department culture as a factor influencing employee retention, according to API.
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