Live from APATS: CAE’s Chris Ranganathan on the Experience Gap in Pilot Training

Speaking at APATS 2025, Chris Ranganathan, a senior leader at CAE, offered a nuanced take on the aviation workforce conversation. While pilot shortages remain a concern, Ranganathan emphasized that the real challenge lies in the shortage of experience, not just numbers.

“What we’re really talking about is a shortage in total experience — not just in sheer pilot numbers,” he said. “We’ve forgotten that nearly half of the 300,000 pilots needed in the next decade are replacements for those leaving the system.”

This shift in perspective is driving a new urgency in training innovation. “There’s a maturity in the industry now,” Ranganathan noted, “to find ways of accelerating the relevant exposure a pilot would normally get in 10 years into just 18 months or two years.”

Watch the full interview to hear how CAE is responding to this challenge and helping reshape pilot development for a rapidly evolving aviation landscape.