Delta Air Lines and other carriers are rolling out programs this summer to develop their next generation of commercial airline pilots. The moves come as thousands of pilots near the mandatory retirement age of 65 in the coming few years, creating a pilot shortage aggravated by Chinese airlines poaching North American pilots. Delta launched its new Propel Pilot Career Path Program in July to develop its own next generation of pilots. Delta is initially partnering with 8 universities that offer aviation programs and is interviewing their aviation students. Candidate-students it selects will be provided a qualified Delta job offer, describing a path and an accelerated timeline under which they could become a Delta pilot after spending 42 months or less working for a Delta Connection regional carrier. <br/>
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In a bid to expand internationally, Delta Air Lines announced its decision to broaden its trans-Atlantic network for next year’s summer. Toward this end, the carrier not only announced additional flights but also increased frequencies of some existing ones. Under the route expansion plan across the Atlantic, the airline has decided to introduce year-round nonstop flights connecting Tampa Bay, FL, to Amsterdam. The flights will be operational from May 23, 2019. To meet surge in demand, Delta also increased the frequency of its service connecting Los Angeles to Amsterdam and Paris. Flights to both these key European destinations will operate on a daily basis from Jun 16, 2019. Additionally, the company has decided to boost its European services from New York JFK next summer. <br/>