Delta Air Lines cuts seniority requirement for 757 and 767 pilots

Delta Air Lines is dramatically lowering its seniority requirements for captain roles on some of its most coveted planes, the latest impact of an industry-wide pilot shortage.

Simple Flying reports that Delta pilots with at little as 4.5 months seniority are now eligible to bid to become captains of Boeing 757 and Boeing 767 planes.

The shift was first reported by Aero Crew News, which reports on job postings for airline pilots.

According to One Mile at a Time, pilots traditionally expected to spend a decade or more at the airline before being able to win a captain role in larger airliners. The pandemic changed that, as airlines cut thousands of pilot jobs early in the pandemic and are now struggling to rehire now that travel is surging again.

Note that a few months of seniority doesn’t mean pilots have only a few months of experience; pilots would still need plenty of flying hours logged to land these roles. But Delta’s change does create some new opportunities for pilots at regional carriers who are looking to move up quickly. bizjournals.com