The Current State of Airline Hiring

Here’s how pilot job openings have evolved lately.

John McDermott

Saturday, April 19, 2025 at 07:30 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

American Airlines says it is willing to step up pay incentives for pilots that keeps pace with those offered by Delta Air Lines. [Credit: iStock]

Key Takeaways:

Pilot hiring has returned to pre-pandemic levels, significantly slowing down from peak post-COVID rates, creating challenges for new pilots entering the job market.
Despite the slowdown, many regional and major airlines are still actively hiring pilots, and demand remains strong for flight attendants and especially aircraft mechanics.
The future outlook is mixed, with potential for mild upticks due to increased aircraft deliveries and anticipated retirements, but also caution from airlines scaling back capacity due to economic forecasts.
New and aspiring pilots should focus on maintaining flying proficiency, currency, and networking to improve their competitiveness for future opportunities.

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In recent months, pilot hiring has returned to normal pre-pandemic levels. Roughly 5,000 airline pilots were hired across the board in 2024, down from 13,000 a couple years prior.

This has created a condition that seems unbearably slow for pilots that launched their careers after the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly those still training or working in entry-level pilot and flight instructor positions. Yet the slowdown is not inherently a bad sign. A return to normal was always inevitable, and the industry has ups and downs that veterans are sometimes painfully accustomed to.