Airlines Ramp up Pilot Training Programs as Travel Increases

As air travel continues to increase across the country, Alaska Airlines has joined a growing list of U.S. carriers addressing the pilot shortage issue.

Alaska is partnering with the Hillsboro Aero Academy to open a flight school based in both Hillsboro and Redmond, Oregon. According to the Seattle Times, the airline will offer low-interest loans to prospective students to train for their commercial pilot license with the expectation they will begin flying for regional carrier Horizon Air.

It comes at a needed time as the pilot shortage has been an issue for years that predated the onset of the pandemic in March of 2020. The Times noted that one consulting firm estimated that the U.S. will be short 12,000 pilots by the end of 2023.

“When the airlines reacted to the beginning of the pandemic by really freezing their hiring, not continuing with their ramp-up plans like they had, it seemed like a prudent decision,” Scott Keyes, the founder of the travel discount website Scott’s Cheap Flights, told the paper. “But now with travel rebounding much more quickly than anyone expected, airlines have been caught pretty flat-footed.”

Earlier this year, United opened its training academy, the first airline to do so.

Southwest also announced last month it was resuming construction of its pilot training center.

Last week, JetBlue announced it is once again accepting applications for Gateways, its pilot training program. Some 12 percent of last year’s new-hire pilots came through one of the JetBlue Gateways.

“Whether you’ve never been in an aircraft flight deck or already have a few solo flights under your belt and are planning for your future as a commercial airline pilot, we know that there is no single route to a career in aviation, but we do believe there should be a path available for anyone with the aptitude and passion to pursue it. Our Gateways offer multiple paths for those who’ve dreamed but never had the opportunity to pursue these highly-skilled careers in aviation,” Robin Hayes, JetBlue CEO, said in a statement. “Since 2008 our Gateway programs have been removing many barriers of entry that often ground talented individuals before their dreams can even take flight. We are proud of our ability to extend opportunities to broader audiences and can’t wait to welcome the next generation of aviation professionals to JetBlue.”

And if you can’t train them, recruit them. Earlier this year, Breeze Airways announced it was hiring pilots from Australia and taking advantage of a favorable visa policy between the U.S. and Australia.