I was reading through AOPA’s Flight Training Magazine the other day and came across this 2006 Pilot Hiring estimates. For those pilots out there looking for work and those future pilots out there hoping to get right into the airline industry, it looks to be a rocky year for some of the legacy carriers still with some 9,000+ furlough pilots. All seems bright for the regional carriers though.
Southwest picked up a few along with JetBlue. Fedex and UPS picked up a few but the major carriers are still suffering from an economic downturn several years ago along with high overhead costs that many are dealing with now. Continental looks to be the only legacy carrier out there to be hiring. They sent out 300 invites last year and sending out even more this year (2006), some 400+ invites.
The regional carriers are having breakout years though. Many regionals hired large numbers last year, and this year is no different.
American Eagle had a huge year in 2004 with nearly 500 pilots being hired. In 2005, nearly 120 pilots got the call. This year looks to be similar to 2005. Expect 100 or so pilots to get the call.
Applications online http://www.americaneaglecareers.com
Chautauqua was rolling through 2005 with some 285 pilots getting a call back. The year 2006 looks to be another good year for this carrier. Send your resume to ( resumes@flychautauqua.com)
Comair had a great year in 2005 while it hired some 270 pilots. However this year could be interesting. Comair flies feeder routes for Delta which filed for Chapter 11 a few months ago. Hiring freezes could be in place as furlough pilots from Delta seek out employment at Comair.
ExpressJet wins out in total hiring with a number of 500 pilots in 2005, a result due to Continentals rehiring of ExpressJet pilots. Be quick though. Experts say that Continental and ExpressJet are nearly done hiring for a long time. Plus Continental is seeking out a new regional partner.
Mesa Airlines hired a huge amount in 2004, significantly less than that in 2005, but 2006 looks to be another good year with 200+ expected to get an invite.
Trans States hired just over 100 new pilots in 2005. Look for that number to be similar this year.
Information obtained from:
AOPA Flight Training Jan. 2006 Edition
"What's Going On?" by Wayne Phillips
Overall, 2006 does not look too bad for pilots. As long as you can meet and exceed the regional’s requirements and make a good impression during the interview, this year’s pilots have a better chance of getting hired than previous year’s pilots.
Comment Preview