Delta: ‘More Normalized’ Industrywide Pilot Hiring Anticipated

Airline estimates 5,000 new pilot jobs across the business next year.

Monday, October 14, 2024 at 02:02 PM ET

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A Delta A220 at Paine Field in Washington state. [Credit: AirlineGeeks/Katie Zera]

Key Takeaways:

Delta Air Lines has significantly reduced pilot hiring in 2024 (over 50% cut) and expects a "more normalized" tempo in 2025, reflecting a broader industry trend.
Major U.S. carriers are generally throttling back pilot recruitment after a post-pandemic surge, with industry-wide hiring now returning to pre-2020 levels.
Improved pilot supply and normalized training are expected to help Delta restore its regional capacity to pre-pandemic levels by summer 2025, aligning with an industry forecast of approximately 5,000 new pilot hires in 2025, similar to 2019.

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After cutting its pilot hiring figures by roughly 50 percent in 2024, Delta Air Lines is forecasting a “more normalized” tempo next year. Most major U.S. carriers hired pilots at record numbers soon after the pandemic but have since throttled back.

The Atlanta-based airline hopes to return its regional capacity to pre-pandemic levels in summer 2025, driven by improvements in pilot supply, company leadership shared during a third-quarter earnings call on Thursday.