Airlines Have Finally Hired A Bunch Of Pilots … But It’s Not All Good News

Commercial air travel hasn’t been a lot of fun in recent years as several issues — most notably, staffing shortages — have caused widespread delays and cancellations at airports.

If you’ve experienced some of that frustration, you might be pleased to know that airlines have been on a hiring spree lately and a host of new pilots are sitting behind the controls in jet cockpits. But there’s more nuance to this story than simple stats would suggest.

Some important context

Although the increase in pilot acquisition among major airline carriers started in 2021, it really kicked into high gear last year. While 2020 was an anomaly since COVID-19 essentially shut down most non-essential airline travel, we might dismiss the paltry 2,398 pilots hired that year.

But let’s take a look at how the the three years since have stacked up against earlier trends:

• 2021 was the first year in decades that more than 5,000 pilots were hired
• In 2022, the number more than doubled from the previous year … increasing from 5,426 to 13,128
• So far in 2023, nearly 10,000 new pilots have gotten their wings

So what happens when all these inexperienced pilots get behind the controls? That’s what a lot of industry insiders — and nervous passengers — want to know.

The underlying risk

The airline industry simply hasn’t ever seen the rapid addition of so many new pilots, which has some folks understandably worried. While there haven’t been any crashes, there have been a number of near misses. And when you’re talking about air travel, there’s really no room for error.

Republic Airways CEO Bryan Bedford noted that “there’s tremendous experience within the industry” but admitted that he has “a concern over the experience in seat,” adding: “I think we should at least ask those questions.”

Chris Agee November 8th, 2023

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