A Conversation with the CEO of Edmonton International Airport.
On August 22, 2025, our founder sat down with Myron Keehn, CEO of Edmonton International Airport, for a direct conversation about the future of Canadian aviation and the pilot shortage that is reshaping it.
Edmonton International Airport is located approximately 40 minutes from downtown Edmonton. It is an airport with serious ambitions — including a planned direct route to Kumamoto, Japan, a project Myron has been instrumental in driving forward.
Our founder and Myron have worked alongside each other for years. The relationship includes dinners during his visits to Japan and ongoing dialogue about where aviation is heading. Every conversation with Myron reinforces the same impression: this is someone who brings genuine heat to the work, and who is shaping what comes next in Canadian aviation.
This visit covered more than Edmonton’s own trajectory. It went directly into the pilot shortage — what is causing it, what it will take to address it, and where the gaps are most acute.
What the Pilot Shortage Actually Looks Like From the Inside.
The pilot shortage in Canada is not a temporary dip in supply. It is a structural problem that has been building for years and is now accelerating.
The most immediate driver is generational. A large cohort of experienced pilots is hitting mandatory retirement age. Many airlines have already begun absorbing those losses. Over the next several years, the scale of that departure will be measured in the thousands — and the pipeline to replace them is not keeping pace.
Regional and mid-sized carriers are being hit hardest. Compensation gaps and limited career development pathways make it difficult to attract and retain younger pilots. The result is a pull toward major carriers — which solves the problem for one tier of the industry while compounding it for another.
Training infrastructure is its own constraint. Flight schools are operating at capacity limits. Instructor supply is insufficient. Investment in equipment and facilities has not kept pace with demand. Students who want to train often cannot access the hours and resources they need in reasonable timeframes.
Myron was direct about what this means: the solution requires coordination across government, airports, airlines, and training institutions. No single organization can address the structural causes on its own.
He also spoke clearly about the work IAM PILOT.COM is doing — pilot placement, career support, and the international talent pipeline we are building. His assessment was that this kind of work is exactly what the industry needs. Edmonton International Airport, Edmonton Global, and Invest Alberta are part of the ecosystem we are building within. The pilot shortage cannot be solved without connecting international talent to the operators and regions that need them most.
Edmonton and the Kumamoto Route.
A direct flight between Edmonton and Kumamoto, Japan has been in discussion since early 2025. The plan involves charter operations as a first phase, with scheduled service targeted for 2027 or later depending on demand validation. The timing is connected in part to the expansion of TSMC operations in Kumamoto and the business travel demand that follows.
Operator and schedule details remain to be confirmed. The following coverage provides context on where things stand:
RKK — Kumamoto Airport Canada Route Reporting (January 2025)
LifeVancouver — Edmonton to Kumamoto: 2027 Timeline and Background
Japan Aviation Hub — Charter First, Then Scheduled Service
Note: All reporting above reflects the discussion and proposal stage as of early 2025. Operator, schedule, and route details remain subject to change.
What Comes Next.
IAM PILOT.COM will continue working alongside Edmonton International Airport, Edmonton Global, and Invest Alberta to build the international talent connections that Canadian aviation needs.
The structural problems are real. The appetite to solve them — at the institutional level — is also real. That combination is where we are building.
References.
Transport Canada — Pilot Shortage Overview
Job Bank Canada — Aviation Pilot Occupational Outlook 2024 to 2033