Game Over for Regional Airlines?

The regionals need pilots with experience to operate but such pilots are suddenly in huge demand by major airlines.

Friday, November 04, 2022 at 08:56 AM ET

Verified

Regionals are competing head to head with the majors for qualified crews to fully staff their routes. [Courtesy: Shutterstock]

Key Takeaways:

2022 marked an unprecedented surge in pilot hiring by major airlines, leading to record numbers and rapid internal advancements for pilots.
This aggressive hiring created an unsustainable attrition crisis for regional airlines, traditionally a feeder system, as pilots rapidly moved to mainline carriers.
To combat pilot shortages and retain staff, regional airlines were forced to implement drastic and potentially unsustainable pay raises, dramatically altering their cost structures.
The author suggests the traditional regional airline model is now obsolete and proposes integrating regional pilots and operations directly into mainline carriers as a potential future solution.

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When I started V1 Rotate late last year, it had already become apparent that the COVID-19 pandemic was going to become a footnote in aviation history, a momentary blip in an era of strong opportunity for professional pilots.

My employer had resumed hiring, as had every other airline and most flight departments and Part 135 and 91K operators. Flight training was proceeding apace, and United had just opened its new Aviate Academy. The coming year seemed likely to eclipse 2019 in terms of both training and hiring, but otherwise represent an evolution of the ongoing pilot shortage.