Over 200 Trained Pilots in Maldives Still Without Jobs

More than 200 trained pilots in the Maldives remain unemployed, according to Transport Minister Mohamed Ameen. Speaking at a press conference held at the President’s Office on Monday, Ameen addressed the growing concern about the lack of job opportunities for those who pursued pilot training.

The minister said he had previously voiced opposition to the rapid increase in pilot training opportunities. He believes the expansion, particularly during the previous administration, was politically driven rather than based on job market demand.
“Over the past three years, around 500 individuals were sent for pilot training, even though over 200 students were already active in the field,” Ameen said.

At present, only two local airlines—Trans Maldivian Airways (TMA) and Maldivian—hire cadet pilots. However, together they create just about 25 new jobs annually, far below the number of new trainees.

Ameen pointed out that globally, the aviation industry also faces backlogs. “Many countries have laws that restrict pilot jobs to citizens, because they too have large numbers of unemployed trained pilots,” he explained.

He also noted that fresh graduates are cadet pilots without job experience—something airlines typically don’t rely on alone to operate safely.
Some Maldivian pilot graduates have had to take jobs outside the field, including in resorts and other sectors, due to the lack of available roles in aviation.

Ameen stressed the importance of aligning scholarships with real job opportunities. “It’s sad. I’m also very sad about this,” he said, adding that one solution is to expand TMA and Maldivian to accommodate more cadet pilots—but admitted progress would be slow.

As an alternative, the government is now encouraging students and loan recipients to consider switching to other areas of study. Ameen confirmed that some students made that change last year.
He reiterated that while the expansion of the aviation sector is necessary, it cannot happen overnight. Until then, the government is in talks with affected students and parents to find the best path forward.