U.S. pilot hiring tanked in 2024 as airlines continue to face aircraft delivery delays. The reduction comes after several years of record hiring trends as carriers recovered from the pandemic.
In 2024, the major U.S. carriers hired 4,834 new pilots, according to data from the Future and Active Pilots Alliance. This figure is a far cry from the over 12,000 pilots hired in 2023, representing a 60 percent year-over-year drop.
