An increasing number of Dutch pilots are flying for airlines which have been blacklisted by the EU and are not allowed into Dutch airspace, Nos television reported at the weekend.

Dutch flying schools know of at least 50 pilots working for blacklisted airlines, although not all were open about their affairs, the broadcaster said.
According to pilots’ association VNV there are some 1,000 unemployed pilots in the Netherlands and a huge shortage of positions at reliable airlines. Young pilots leave their training programmes with debts of around €150,000.
One flying school questioned by Nos – the Stella Aviation Academy in Teuge – has supplied 30 students to blacklisted Indonesian airline Lion Air and is about to start supplying pilots to Sriwijaya, another blacklisted Indonesian airline.
Stella is also supplying instructors to Indonesia. ‘We want to help the airline improve its standards,’ spokesman Evert-Jan Hilgeman told Nos.