Training schools for pilots have warned they cannot afford the cost of shifting their operations to make way for Western Sydney International Airport in 2026, which could put further strain on the already depleted supply of pilots.

Aeria Management Group – which operates Camden and Bankstown airports and provides the bulk of pilot training in NSW – has warned the federal Department of Transport that its draft environmental impact statement for the new airport “substantially underestimates” the costs for the existing airports in the congested Sydney Basin.

The two airports cumulatively train 600 pilots across 10 schools. But many of the training facilities, which are based at the two airports, have told Aeria their operations will not be able to afford the increased fuel bills, staffing costs and aircraft maintenance caused by having to conduct their training further away.

Basair Aviation College is based at Bankstown Airport and is one of the biggest pilot training schools in NSW. It also has the third-biggest fleet in the country, behind airlines Qantas and Virgin Australia.

Basair chief executive David Newton said he was committed to staying open, but expects the cost of training to increase by about $100 per flight. As it stands, accredited commercial pilot training in Australia costs about $150,000 per pilot.

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“The length of our flight times will increase which will mean students have to fly further to get to the training area, and we can’t absorb that cost. I am not anti the airport, I train commercial pilots, so am naturally very supportive [of Western Sydney International Airport] but we need to feel supported too,” Newton said.

Oceania will require about 10,000 new pilots within the next two decades, according to research by L.E.K Consulting for the Department of Transport last year. Already, there are not enough pilots graduating from the country’s pilot schools to meet demand. Since flying resumed after COVID-19, local airlines have complained that pilot poaching by global giants including Delta, American Airlines, United and Emirates has intensified.

Regional Express – which has drastically reduced its flights over the past six months due to a lack of pilots and supply chain hiccups – has run its own pilot training academy since 2007 and recently reopened to Chinese cadets. Qantas also established its own pilot academy in partnership with Flight Training Adelaide in 2020 to provide introductory training to prospective pilots.