Delta Looking at Private Charter Pilots to Solve Shortage

Delta Air Lines is looking at a new way to help solve the industry-wide problem of a pilot shortage.

The Atlanta-based carrier has announced it will allow pilots in its college training program to log the critical air miles needed for certification by flying for Wheels Up, a well-known private charter service.

Potential commercial airline pilots need 1,500 hours of flight time before being certified, and the ability to garner some of those hours through the Wheels Up charter service would help the process of accumulating those hours.

“We believe that working together we can provide meaningful and exciting assignments for pilots at every stage of their careers,” Stevens Sainte-Rose, chief people officer at Wheels Up, said in a statement according to Business Insider. “We collectively want to innovate in how we attract, retain and develop the very best pilots in the industry.”

Wheels Up will work with Delta’s college training program to ensure it has enough viable candidates to become future commercial airline pilots. So far, it appears to be an idea that is being well-received within in the airline industry.

“It’s all about getting the job done right and safely for the customer, and this partnership with Wheels Up will set that strong foundation for this next generation of Delta pilots,” Captain Ashish Naran, a former corporate pilot, said in a statement according to Business Insider.

A pilot shortage had been brewing for years and was exacerbated by the pandemic and the decision by most airlines to save money by offering early retirement and buyouts for employees, including pilots.

The shortage has had major repercussions as many airlines were caught flat-footed and forced to cancel numerous flights and outright eliminate some smaller cities from their route schedules.