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By Victor Kaisar

Pilot Training

Kamloops council to lobby for financial aid, new programs to train new airline pilots

Nov 19, 2025 | 6:00 AM

KAMLOOPS — A Kamloops city councillor is hoping his proposal to try and help train new pilots will land well at higher levels of governments.

Bill Sarai, who is also the president of the Kamloops Airport Authority Society, wants the provincial and federal governments to bring in a number of measures to make it easier for people to get access to pilot training programs.

Those include asking the B.C. government to recognize flight training as an eligible program under provincial financial aid systems as well as for the federal government to develop or extend financial assistance programs — like loans and grants — to flight training programs.

“We’re not treating pilot training as a trade,” Sarai told CFJC. “You have to be well financed or you actually have to take out a loan from a bank with collateral and we’re missing out on a huge number of people that financially can’t afford to do that.”

“They could possibly be able to pursue this career if they got a student loan, just like any other trade. It also gives them a purpose to finish the trade.”

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Sarai said the shortage of qualified pilots in Canada tends to impact regional and northern air connectivity more. He added the issues are not the fault of pilots at smaller carriers, as they often tend to advance their careers at larger airlines as soon as they’re able to.

“They’re getting an opportunity to get more wages and fly fancy jets. I would go too, if I had a chance,” Sarai said. “There’s a huge shortage of pilots around the world but I’m more focused on Canada and B.C. as we are doing things that aren’t helping the industry.”

In his notice of motion, which was approved by council, Sarai said the cost to train as a pilot can range between $80,000 and $120,000. People begin the process by first getting a private pilot licence (PPL) before moving on to a commercial pilot licence (CPL).

“I think there are students out there who would look at this career a lot more positively if they knew that they wouldn’t have to be out of pocket — or is this one of those ‘rich man’s careers’ that your family has to have money for you to do it?” Sarai added.

“I think it’s a career that there are a lot of star pupils in our own backyard that would take this one if they knew that they had financial backing”

Sarai is also hoping to see a partnership established between the two flight schools in Kamloops and Thompson Rivers University, whereby a degree or diploma program is established to train new pilots.

He said there are partnerships of this kind in other provinces like Alberta.

“Pilots do need a degree or a diploma that goes along with their air time and flight school hours,” Sarai said of his desire to get TRU involved. “Even School District 73… I’ve brought in a school trustee to see if we can offer some courses that could be used as credits to TRU, just like we have that trade school at NorKam.”

“These are all things we’re just trying to feel out. I’m trying to connect all the dots wherever I can to attract more students that would not think of this as a career.”