Aircraft shortages push US carriers to pause pilot-hiring spree
A pilot shortage that had gripped US regional airlines is finally easing, at least temporarily, due to aircraft production and maintenance issues that have left major US airlines with fewer-than-anticipated jets. Now, the narrative has shifted from deficit to over-supply. The change is reverberating among regional airlines, flight schools and recruitment organisations, with some regional carriers freezing new hiring or furloughing existing pilots. “We still have a dramatic pilot shortage, but it is being temporarily paused and somewhat concealed by an even-more-temporary large-aircraft shortage,” says Faye Malarkey-Black, CE of the Regional Airline Association (RAA). “We still don’t have all the pilots we need to fly all the routes and connect all the communities we want to.” Those sentiments are echoed by executives at regional airlines and by other industry insiders. They say the repreive, felt by smaller carriers prone to losing pilots to major airlines, results largely from delivery delays from Airbus and, to a greater extent, Boeing. As Airbus struggles with broad supply chain issues, Boeing has drastically reduced the number of new jets coming off its production lines since the 5 January mid-flight blow-out of a door-plug on a 737 Max 9 operated by Alaska Airlines. The US company has said it aims to return to a 38-monthly 737 production rate this year. Airlines’ fleet-growth plans are further constrained by Pratt & Whitney’s recall of geared turbofan engines, forcing airlines globally to ground hundreds of Airbus A320neo-family aircraft. Southwest Airlines, which operates an all-737 fleet, has been hit particularly hard by Boeing’s delays, as it has been counting on receiving the yet-to-be-certificated Max 7. In April, the carrier disclosed it was limiting pilot hiring amid surging costs and 737 Max delays. CE Bob Jordan said Southwest was “implementing cost-control initiatives, including limiting hiring and offering voluntary time-off programmes”.<br/>
https://portal.staralliance.com/cms/news/hot-topics/2024-08-21/general/aircraft-shortages-push-us-carriers-to-pause-pilot-hiring-spree
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Aircraft shortages push US carriers to pause pilot-hiring spree
A pilot shortage that had gripped US regional airlines is finally easing, at least temporarily, due to aircraft production and maintenance issues that have left major US airlines with fewer-than-anticipated jets. Now, the narrative has shifted from deficit to over-supply. The change is reverberating among regional airlines, flight schools and recruitment organisations, with some regional carriers freezing new hiring or furloughing existing pilots. “We still have a dramatic pilot shortage, but it is being temporarily paused and somewhat concealed by an even-more-temporary large-aircraft shortage,” says Faye Malarkey-Black, CE of the Regional Airline Association (RAA). “We still don’t have all the pilots we need to fly all the routes and connect all the communities we want to.” Those sentiments are echoed by executives at regional airlines and by other industry insiders. They say the repreive, felt by smaller carriers prone to losing pilots to major airlines, results largely from delivery delays from Airbus and, to a greater extent, Boeing. As Airbus struggles with broad supply chain issues, Boeing has drastically reduced the number of new jets coming off its production lines since the 5 January mid-flight blow-out of a door-plug on a 737 Max 9 operated by Alaska Airlines. The US company has said it aims to return to a 38-monthly 737 production rate this year. Airlines’ fleet-growth plans are further constrained by Pratt & Whitney’s recall of geared turbofan engines, forcing airlines globally to ground hundreds of Airbus A320neo-family aircraft. Southwest Airlines, which operates an all-737 fleet, has been hit particularly hard by Boeing’s delays, as it has been counting on receiving the yet-to-be-certificated Max 7. In April, the carrier disclosed it was limiting pilot hiring amid surging costs and 737 Max delays. CE Bob Jordan said Southwest was “implementing cost-control initiatives, including limiting hiring and offering voluntary time-off programmes”.<br/>
