Following a record-breaking year of hiring in 2022, some U.S. airlines are beginning to level off on pilot recruitment. Across 13 non-regional airlines, September and October saw a reduction in pilot hiring of nearly 11 percent compared to last year. This comes on the heels of some shake-ups in the post-COVID blitz to recruit new aviators.
According to data from pilot career advisory group FAPA, major U.S. airlines hired a total of 2,116 pilots between September and October. The group’s data includes hiring trends from 13 U.S. airlines, including Delta, American, and United, along with smaller carriers such as Spirit, Frontier, and JetBlue.