An ongoing pilot shortage, spurred by demand after the pandemic, is forcing some airlines to keep their jets on the ground. During the June 3 Bernstein Strategic Decisions Conference in New York, American Airlines CEO Robert Isom announced that about 100 regional jets were not ready for flight.
“There is a supply and demand imbalance right now, and it really is within the regional carrier ranks,” Isom says. Along with American Airlines, Dallas-based Southwest Airlines has canceled a staggering 20,000 flights due to the shortage.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, airlines offered pilots early retirement deals and other incentives. Additionally, layoffs intended to cut costs from a struggling industry left airlines with a limited stock of pilots.
Yet, travelers continue to fill flight lists as the industry recovers from the drop in tourism. Ticket prices have increased an estimated 25% since last year, and the Bank of America found that Americans spent around 60% more at travel agencies.
Airlines across the U.S. have been brainstorming solutions to attract more qualified pilots. Currently, pilots are forced to retire at the age of 65, but some lawmakers are trying to raise the age to 67, CNBC wrote. Multiple airlines, most recently Delta, have stopped requiring four-year college degrees for pilots. Others are considering lowering the number of training hours for pilots-in-training.
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby predicted that the shortage would continue for a least five years.
“Most airlines are simply not going to be able to realize their capacity plans because there simply aren’t enough pilots,” Kirby said.
American Airlines has taken the initiative by moving regional pilots from their sub-companies, Envoy and Piedmont, to larger passenger jets. This move leaves smaller planes serving shorter, national routes grounded, American Airlines CEO Robert Isom stated.