Jet Linx, a global private aviation company providing aircraft management, joint ownership, and jet card membership services, announced Wednesday that it has partnered with ATP Flight School to bring students a direct pathway to join Jet Linx as a first officer.
The goal of the program is not only to give students more options but also to enhance the pilot pipeline for Jet Linx, one of few private aviation companies partnered with ATP.
“It is an honor to join forces with such a highly respected institution as ATP to create new career paths for their trained and qualified candidates,” said Jamie Walker, president and CEO of Jet Linx Aviation, in a statement. “We are proud to partner with a like-minded and forward-thinking company who shares similar values and is equally committed to developing collaborative solutions that benefit our industry and help us prepare for the future.”
Ashley Dilllon, director of airline and corporate partnerships at ATP, expressed her excitement.
“We are thrilled to partner with Jet Linx to provide ATP graduates a defined pathway to enter the corporate aviation sector flying for a reputable, expanding Part 135 operator,” she said. “Jet Linx offers both a compelling career destination and a pathway to advance to a legacy airline.”
Why it Matters
In the past two years, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, airlines have lost roughly 90,000 workers—roughly 20 percent of those were pilots. Now, with the pandemic lifting, airlines are scrambling to fill the gap.
According to the Regional Airline Association, regulators certified more than 4,900 new commercial airline pilots in 2021. That is less than half of the 11,500 pilots that were needed to support the shortage that year. Some airlines such as Alaska Airlines and United have exited smaller markets because of limited flight crews.
The association estimates that there will be a shortage of 60,000 pilots by 2029. Partnerships between accelerated schools such as ATP and private and commercial airlines can help give incentive for new pilots to start training. The security of a position at the end of flight school coupled with the possibility of sign-on bonuses may be enough to get new pilots onto the flight deck.
