U.S. pilot shortage forces airlines to cut flights, scramble for solutions

The United States is facing the worst pilot shortage in recent memory, and airlines are forced to reduce flights, just as travelers have returned after more than two years of the Covid-19 pandemic. not.

The crisis is a crisis in which the industry is fighting for a solution.

At least one lawmaker is considering a law that could raise the federal retirement age for airline pilots from 65 to 67 and above to extend aviator time in the air. It is said.

Regional airlines have proposed reducing flight time requirements before joining US airlines, and airlines are rethinking their training programs to lower barriers to entry. Earlier this year Delta Air Lines He joined another major career and earned a four-year degree from pilot recruitment requirements.

Several US airlines including FrontierLooking for pilots from Australia. American Airlines We sell bus tickets for several short routes.

However, some airline executives have warned that the shortage can take years to resolve.

“The shortage of pilots in the industry is a reality, and most airlines will not be able to realize their capacity plans because of the shortage of pilots for at least the next five years or more.” United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said in an April quarterly earnings announcement.

Kirby estimated that airlines in the United-affiliated region are currently landing about 150 planes due to a shortage of pilots.

Covid’s pandemic has stopped hiring pilots due to slow training and licensing.Distributed by the airline Early retirement Packages to thousands of pilots and other employees were aimed at reducing labor costs when travel demand surged during a crisis.

“I feel like I’m at the top,” said a former captain of a major US airline that adopted an early retirement package in 2020.

Now the airline is desperate employment When Train the pilotHowever, the rush may take too long to avoid a flight cut.

According to Kit Darby, a retired pilot pay consultant and captain of United, major US airlines are hiring more than 12,000 pilots this year alone. This is more than double the past record of annual recruitment.

The shortage is especially severe for regional airlines supplying hubs from small cities to major airlines. These airlines have returned recruitment and retention bonuses, but they have lower salaries than majors and are actively hiring from these smaller airlines.

Phoenix base Mesa Air GroupAirlines using American Airlines and United Airlines lost nearly $ 43 million in the last quarter as flight cuts progressed.

Jonathan Ornstein, CEO of Mesa, said: “If we don’t fly, we lose money. You saw our quarterly numbers.”

According to Ornstein, it will take an estimated 120 days to replace a pilot who will notify Mesa of going to another airline two weeks in advance.

“Now we can use 200 pilots,” he said.

Some airlines such as Frontier Airlines and regional airlines Skywest We are recruiting pilots from Australia under special visas to alleviate the shortage, but the number is small compared to their overall rank and employment goals.

Republic Airways, a regional airline operating American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines, will fly to the airline last month in 750 hours, half of the 1,500 hours currently required if pilots pass the airline’s training program. Requested the US government to allow. The 1,500-hour rule is already exempt, including US military-trained pilots and pilots participating in two- and four-year programs, including flight training.

This proposal received backlash from the families of the victims in 2009 Colgan Air 3407 Crash, the last fatal US passenger civil aviation crash. This tragedy pioneered the so-called 1,500-hour rule aimed at ensuring the pilot’s experience by killing all 49 people on board and one on the ground.

The Federal Aviation Administration has questioned whether the proposal will be approved.

“Anyone can request an exemption, but that doesn’t mean it’s allowed,” the FAA said in a statement to CNBC on Monday. “The FAA fully understands and supports the safety goals set to achieve and fully understand Congress’s intent when establishing the 1,500-hour requirement.”

Senator Lindsey Graham, RS.C. Is considering introducing a parliamentary law that can raise the retirement age of mandatory aviation pilots from the current 65 to at least 67, according to people familiar with Graham’s plans.

According to the Regional Aviation Association, about one-third of US airline-qualified pilots are between the ages of 51 and 59, and 13% of national airline pilots reach retirement age within five years.

Graham’s office did not respond to requests for comment.

Due to a shortage of pilots and other workers, airlines Rethink their growth schedule. JetBlue Airlines When Alaska Airlines It is one of the carriers that has recently reduced capacity.

SkywestAs part of that, it told the Transport Bureau that it plans to suspend services to 29 small cities subsidized by the government through mandatory aviation regulations.

While service cuts can isolate small cities in the United States, pilot pay consultant Derby could mean opening up to smaller competitors that are less dependent on regional airlines than major network airlines. Said.

“If they don’t fly it, maybe smaller airlines will fly,” he said.

One of the biggest hurdles to bringing in new pilots is the cost of school education. Salaries for wide-body aircraft captains on major airlines can exceed $ 350,000 annually, but it can take years to qualify.

At the country’s largest ATP flight school, a 7-month full-time program to get an initial license costs nearly $ 92,000. After that, it may take about 18 months or more for the pilot to accumulate enough time to fly. In many cases, we will instruct student pilots or fly banners near the beach.

“It’s not a car wash,” Derby said. “Don’t just bring someone from the street.”

United began teaching its first students in December at the United Aviate Academy, its own flight school in Goodyear, Arizona, for training purposes. By 2030 there are 5,000 pilots out there.. United states that it aims to make half of them women or people of color. The company will cover the cost of pilot training until it licenses a private pilot. This is estimated at about $ 17,000 per student.

Other carriers are looking to low interest rate loans or other initiatives to ease the financial burden on students.

“There is no quick solution,” Derby said.