ATP Flight School Says Major US Airlines Target at Least 6,500 Pilot Hires in 2026

USA – Flight training group ATP Flight School has published an updated 2026 airline pilot hiring outlook, stating that major airlines are targeting at least 6,500 new pilots and highlighting its career pathways with American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines.

• ATP listed 2026 hiring targets of:
  • 2,000 pilots at United Airlines
  • 1,700 at American Airlines and
  • 2,000 at Delta Air Lines.
• ATP offers formal career pathways to the three airlines:
  • American Airlines pathway uses the American Airlines Cadet Academy and progression through Envoy Air, Piedmont Airlines or PSA Airlines.
  • Delta pathway uses the Propel program and Endeavor Air
  • United pathway connects students with the Aviate program and participating United Express or Part 135 operators.
• The training provider reports career relationships with 38 airline, cargo and corporate operators and states that its graduates can access every US regional airline cadet programme.
• AFM previously reported that ATP placed 983 graduates with regional and major airlines and corporate operators during 2025. That report cited 17% year-on-year growth in major and legacy airline hiring and a 30% increase in ATP’s placements with those carriers.

About ATP Flight School
ATP Flight School is a US professional pilot training provider founded in 1984. It operates 87 flight training centres and reports delivering more than 600,000 annual flight-training hours and over 13,700 FAA pilot certifications per year. ATP reports a fleet of 658 aircraft, including 102 multi-engine aircraft, together with 177 training devices, of which 11 are CRJ-200 regional jet simulators. Its primary aircraft types include the Piper PA-44 Seminole, Piper Archer and Cessna 172 Skyhawk.

Source: ATP Flight School