American Scales Back Pilot Hiring Plans

The airline is pausing its summer classes and reducing its hiring targets by nearly half in 2024.

Ryan Ewing

Monday, April 22, 2024 at 10:34 AM ET

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An American 737-800 aircraft in Charlotte [Credit: AirlineGeeks]

Key Takeaways:

American Airlines plans to reduce its pilot hiring by roughly 40% in 2024, aiming to hire 1,300 pilots compared to 2,300 in 2023.
The main reasons for this slowdown are Boeing delivery delays and the airline being ahead of its staffing needs after extensive hiring in 2023.
This trend of reduced pilot hiring is consistent across other major U.S. carriers, leading the Allied Pilots Association to state that the "pilot shortage is over," although American expects hiring to increase again due to upcoming retirements.

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American Airlines is the latest U.S. carrier to detail slashed 2024 pilot hiring plans. The Fort Worth, Texas-based airline is scheduled to reduce hiring by roughly 40 percent in 2024 compared to last year.

In a recent briefing to pilots viewed by AirlineGeeks, company vice president of flight operations Russ Moore said that American plans to hire 1,300 pilots this year. In 2023, the airline hired around 2,300.