Japan's airline industry is facing a serious pilot shortage with scores of veteran captains expected to retire between 2007 and 2009 along with all the other baby boomers.
Aviation authorities project that the industry as a whole will see a shortage of as many as 100 pilots a year when the mass retirement reaches its peak.
While the figure may seem relatively small given that some 6,000 pilots work for Japanese airlines, industry experts warn that the situation is serious because pilots for domestic carriers come from a very limited supply.