Sharp increases around the world in air transportation have led to an acute shortage of pilots. The International Civil Aviation Organization warns that the ranks of pilots and other airline workers are dwindling even as the number of commercial flights and passengers are expected to double in the coming 15 years. More than 600,000 pilots will be needed by 2036 to fly commercial airliners, but 80 percent of them have yet to be trained, according to the ICAO. Demand for pilots will be particularly strong in the Asia-Pacific region, where competition to secure the needed manpower is already heating up.

The shortage could threaten Japan's plans to boost inbound tourism as a key growth industry; the government has taken aim at increasing the number of incoming tourists to 40 million in 2020 and 60 million in 2030. Since training a pilot to fly a passenger jet takes time, concerted medium to long-term efforts by the government and private sector will be needed to secure enough skilled aviation professionals.

One of the key factors in the rapid tourism growth has been the sharp increase in flights to Japan operated by low-cost carriers, which plan to add even more flights in anticipation of further rises in the number of inbound travelers. A pilot shortage could derail such plans.