As the UK marks National Apprenticeship Week this week, it’s hard to ignore the fact that one of our most vital professions still sits stubbornly outside the world of accessible, affordable training.

Being a commercial airline pilot is a demanding, highly skilled profession. To qualify, applicants must learn how to fly a complex aircraft safely, master aerodynamics, navigation, meteorology, flight planning, aviation regulations and emergency procedures, all while developing strong decision-making and communication skills.

That makes sense. We want the process to be rigorous and challenging.

There is one hurdle in this process however that makes far less sense. Unlike surgeons or engineers, most aspiring airline pilots here in the UK face having to pay for their own training, in full and upfront. The total cost can top £100,000.

A fortunate few secure places on the very limited number of fully funded airline schemes, where 100 applicants can chase each available place. For most however, the reality is stark: a six‑figure training bill, with no access to student loans or even a viable loan offer from one of the high street banks.

This isn’t a pathway, it’s a paywall.

This is where the first officer pilot apprenticeship could make all the difference. It exists and the content is all approved, but right now it’s on pause. Only a few days ago however, the Aviation Minister made clear in Parliament that fixing how we fund pilot training is a cross-government “priority” and confirmed that the Department for Transport is working to kickstart this apprenticeship. That is good news.

This week, I was in Parliament and at the Department of Transport for meetings on this very issue. We are speaking with airlines too. Here at BALPA, we are working hard to find common ground between the Government and airlines to see if we can unlock what would be a gold-standard apprenticeship, leading to a highly skilled and rewarding career on the flight deck.

Other solutions may also work. These include opening up the student loans system, more airlines opening or expanding funded cadet schemes, or the high street banks reintroducing career development loans. BALPA has an open mind about how we fix this issue, which is dogging the industry and blocking the life chances of many very able aspiring pilots.

Increasingly, key decision makers are getting behind efforts to fix how pilot training is funded, and where there is a will there is a way. A solution does feel possible.

Pilots help stitch the world together, facilitating trade and enabling the kind of travel that broadens perspectives and brings people closer. Whether it’s a family reunion, a long‑planned holiday or a work trip opening new opportunities, pilots make these journeys possible.

Qualifying as a commercial airline pilot is demanding, as it should be. The training is hard, ensuring that only those with all the right skills and aptitude are at the controls when an airliner is six or seven miles up in the sky. The single hurdle we need to remove in all this is that an aspiring pilot needs to be able to lay their hands on £100,000 before they even learn the difference between a flap and an aileron.

After all, whether an individual is in a position to foot a bill of that size has precisely zero relationship to whether or not they would make a successful pilot.

National Apprenticeship Week is a timely reminder to redouble efforts to try to fix how pilot training is funded, and ensure that everyone with the right potential, ambition and aptitude has a real opportunity – if they work hard enough – to reach the flight deck.