U.S. airlines cool hiring after adding 194,000 employees in post-Covid spree

Breaking News: Economy News

U.S. airlines cool hiring after adding 194,000 employees in post-Covid spree
Breaking News: BusinessLifeBusiness
  • 📰 CNBC
  • ⏱ Reading Time:
  • 87 sec. here
  • 26 min. at publisher
  • 📊 Quality Score:
  • News: 118%
  • Publisher: 72%

Hiring by U.S. airlines is cooling after the industry added tens of thousands of jobs to build up for the post-Covid travel surge.

Airlines shed thousands of employees in the pandemic and then scrambled to staff up when travel demand snapped back.U.S. passenger airlines have added nearly 194,000 jobs since 2021 as companies went on a hiring spree after spending months in a pandemic slump, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation . Now the industry is cooling its hiring.

Airlines are close to their staffing needs but the slowdown is also coming in part because they're facing a slew of challenges.Annual pay for a three-year first officer on midsized equipment at U.S. airlines averaged $170,586 in March, up from $135,896 in 2019, according to Kit Darby, an aviation consultant who specializes in pilot pay.Since 2019, costs at U.S. carriers have climbed by double-digit percentages.

Southwest Airlines expects to end the year with 2,000 fewer employees compared with 2023 and earlier this year said it would halt hiring classes for work groups including pilots and flight attendants. CFO Tammy Romo said on an earnings call in July that the company's headcount would likely be down again in 2025 as attrition levels exceed the Dallas-based carrier's "controlled hiring levels.

It's a departure from the previous years when airlines couldn't hire employees fast enough. U.S. airlines are usually adding pilots constantly since they are required to retire at age 65 by federal law.Airlines shed tens of thousands of employees in 2020 to try to stem record losses. Packages of more than $50 billion inThen, travel demand snapped back faster than expected, climbing in earnest in 2022 and leaving airlines without experienced employees like customer service agents.

CEO Robert Isom said in an investor presentation in March that the carrier added about 2,300 pilots last year and that it expects to hire about 1,300 this year.Despite the lower targets, students continue to fill classrooms and cockpits to train and build up hours to become pilots, said Ken Byrnes, chairman of the flight department at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

We have summarized this news so that you can read it quickly. If you are interested in the news, you can read the full text here. Read more:

CNBC /  🏆 12. in US

Breaking News: Business Life Business Aerospace And Defense Industry Transportation Travel Airlines Economy Boeing Co Southwest Airlines Co Spirit Airlines Inc Jetblue Airways Corp Raytheon Technologies Corp Frontier Group Holdings Inc United States United Airlines Holdings Inc American Airlines Group Inc Labor Economy Personnel Delta Air Lines Inc Fedex Corp United Parcel Service Inc Business News

United States Latest News, United States Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

5-Year-Old Kid Hits 194 MPH In A Lamborghini Revuelto5-Year-Old Kid Hits 194 MPH In A Lamborghini RevueltoWhile the Revuelto is all-wheel drive, it'll happily spin up its rear wheels and do donuts
Read more »

Researchers find link between Covid-19 and post-covid childhood illnessResearchers find link between Covid-19 and post-covid childhood illnessScientists have uncovere a link between Covid-19 and post-Covid childhood illness. Their work may improve treatments for similar conditions.
Read more »

RCSD hosts hiring events to fill vital roles ahead of school yearRCSD hosts hiring events to fill vital roles ahead of school yearRochester, N.Y. - The Rochester City School District is working to fill positions ahead of the 2024-25 school year.Wednesday, the district held its 'Get on the
Read more »

Zach LaVine Reacts to Lakers Hiring Former Bulls CoachZach LaVine Reacts to Lakers Hiring Former Bulls CoachThe Los Angeles Lakers have hired a former Chicago Bulls player development coach
Read more »

Zach LaVine Reacts to Lakers Hiring Former Bulls CoachZach LaVine Reacts to Lakers Hiring Former Bulls CoachThe Los Angeles Lakers have hired a former Chicago Bulls player development coach
Read more »

Column: Why the Kyle Guy Hiring is Great for Virginia BasketballWhy bringing back 2019 National Champion Kyle Guy is an excellent decision for Tony Bennett and the Virginia men's basketball program.
Read more »



Render Time: 2025-02-15 08:07:54