US Airlines Continue to Recover Jobs in April
US airlines continued to recover jobs in April, as the industry gradually recovers from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the latest data from the US Department of Transportation, US passenger and cargo airlines added 2,867 workers in April, bringing the total number of employees to 796,846. This is an increase of 8.4% compared to April 2020, when the industry had 734,987 workers.
US passenger airlines employed 517,511 people in April, accounting for 65% of the industry total. This is an increase of 2,247 workers or 0.4% compared to March 2021, and an increase of 7.6% compared to April 2020. However, it is still 11.9% lower than April 2019, when passenger airlines had 587,381 workers.
US cargo airlines employed 136,833 people in April, accounting for 17.2% of the industry total. This is an increase of 620 workers or 0.5% compared to March 2021, and an increase of 13.8% compared to April 2020. It is also 10.6% higher than April 2019, when cargo airlines had 123,759 workers.
The remaining workers in the industry were employed by network, low-cost, regional, and charter airlines. Network airlines employed 383,153 people in April, up by 1.3% from March and up by 5.7% from April 2020. Low-cost airlines employed 104,653 people in April, up by 0.8% from March and up by 14.4% from April 2020. Regional airlines employed 29,705 people in April, down by 1.4% from March and down by 10.5% from April 2020. Charter airlines employed no workers in April.
The increase in airline employment in April reflects the improvement in air travel demand and capacity in the US market. According to the US Bureau of Transportation Statistics, US airlines carried 54 million passengers in April, up by 1,607% from April 2020 and up by 13% from March 2021. However, it is still down by 40% from April 2019.
US airlines also increased their domestic and international capacity in April, measured by available seat miles (ASMs). Domestic ASMs increased by 1,057% year-over-year and by 10% month-over-month to reach 66 billion ASMs in April. International ASMs increased by 1,066% year-over-year and by 16% month-over-month to reach 15 billion ASMs in April.
The US airline industry is expected to continue its recovery path in the coming months, as more people get vaccinated and travel restrictions ease. However, the industry still faces many challenges and uncertainties due to the ongoing pandemic and its variants.