Reported today on The Seattle Times For the full article visit:
American Airlines leads pilot hiring surge as US airlines set traffic records
Air carriers are on pace to hire nearly 5,000 pilots this year, even after canceling thousands of flights from the grounding of the Boeing 737 Max.
Airline hiring will top more than 4,000 pilots by year's end for the fifth straight year, a pace not seen since before the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. That was before mergers halved the number of major air carriers and airlines were comfortable flying planes with more empty seats.
The industry is trying to keep up with a record number of passengers and more pilots retiring as they hit the mandatory age 65 retirement limit, said Louis Smith, president of the Nevada-based aviation hiring firm Future & Active Pilot Advisors.
"Airlines need a lot of pilots," Smith said. "As long as the economy is good and pilots keep retiring, someone has to fly planes."
The surge in hiring comes with an increase in commercial air traffic throughout the country. U.S. air carriers have shuttled about 848 million passengers this year through November, 3.9% more than the same period in 2018.
That includes about 75 million passengers this year at DFW International Airport.
Fort Worth, Texas-based American Airlines, which still has the most employees of any carrier, also has hired the most pilots this year, bringing on 925. American hired 894 pilots in 2018, FAPA's data showed.
American also plans to hire more pilots in 2020 than it did this year, said American Airlines spokeswoman Lanesha Gipson.
Southwest Airlines, which is headquartered at Dallas Love Field, has actually cut back on hiring this year, adding only 390 through November after bringing on 759 in 2018.
Southwest, which owns the most grounded Boeing 737 Max planes, delayed first officer training
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