Market Intelligence: -Airline Hiring

US Flight Training Leader Announces Pathway to Five Airlines

AeroGuard Flight Training Center is excited to announce that through its partnership with SkyWest Airlines, it is now able to provide a clear path to four major airlines, Delta, United, Alaska, and most recently Southwest Airlines, through a Guaranteed Pilot Interview Program (GPI).

AeroGuard has partnered with SkyWest Airlines for the past five years, and as part of that relationship, their Pilot Pathway Program has offered a clear path for students to build their flight experience and join SkyWest Airlines with a guaranteed First Officer interview and Tuition Reimbursement.

Now, as the demand for pilots increases, SkyWest Airlines has announced agreements with the four major airlines such that SkyWest Captains of two years can receive Guaranteed Pilot Interviews with each of them.

This means that from the moment a student joins AeroGuard Flight Training Center, with no necessary prior experience, their path to become an airline pilot at four different major airlines is clear and predictable.

After completing the program as a student, with 7 FAA Ratings and Certificates, AeroGuard Graduates are offered a Guaranteed Interview for a Flight Instructor position with AeroGuard to build their flight experience to the required minimum, typically 1,500 hours, while earning a salary and benefits.

After these pilots have gained the required flight time, which typically takes about 2.5 years from their start as a student, they are then guaranteed a First Officer Final Interview with SkyWest Airlines, where following acceptance and completion of Initial Operating Experience, they will also receive a Tuition Reimbursement of $17,500.

Now SkyWest Airlines has announced Guaranteed Pilot Interviews with Delta, United, Alaska, and most recently Southwest Airlines, for pilots to upgrade to captain for a two-year period. This makes the full career path from student pilot to premier regional, to Major Airline clear at every step.

Since the COVID Pandemic, demand for air travel is exceptionally high, and there has never been a better time to become a pilot. This program with AeroGuard and SkyWest is unique in offering pilots a choice of four major airlines and providing the pilot control over their career and timeline.

AeroGuard Flight Training Center has four locations nationwide and focuses on developing future airline pilots through a high-quality curriculum, accelerated training and professional training environment.

For more information, kindly contact AeroGuard.

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AFM.aero Managing Director Shares Thoughts on US Pilot Shortage with AeroTime Hub

AFM.aero’s Managing Director Maximilian Buerger shared his thoughts on the root causes of the shortage of qualified pilots with AeroTime Hub. Below is a snapshot of the article;

The roots of the current situation lie as far as back as 9/11, explained Maximilian Buerger, managing director of AFM.Aero, a market intelligence platform and advisory firm for the pilot training industry. 

The US travel industry slumped after the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York in 2001. Then came the global financial crisis just a few years later, in 2007/2008. Many airlines nearly collapsed and consolidation followed. That led to major cost cuts, including to pilot salaries, with first officer pay sometimes being at minimum wage levels. 

Finally, the Colgan Air crash of 2009 led to a requirement that pilots must accrue 1,500 hours before they can fly for the commercial carriers in the United States. 

All of those factors combined to reduce the lure of the job, Buerger said. 

“The pilot profession is just not seen to be as attractive in the US as it is in other regions.,” Buerger said. “You have to spend a lot of money on training, you start on a lower salary than in other sectors such as banking or IT, and then you can’t even get to the airlines for two years because you have to build your hours.”  

Buerger added the pandemic has damaged the image of being a pilot further.  “There’s instability, what if there is another wave? You might lose your job again.”

Added to those factors, the pandemic has meant that airlines have used early retirements as a way to cut costs quickly during the downturn, while schools have halted training programs, leaving a gap at entry-level.

AFM.Aero’s Buerger says globally we could end up in a situation similar to 2018/2019, when airlines hungry for pilots were snapping up flight instructors from flight schools, leaving the schools unable to train enough new pilots to meet demand. Airlines will most likely also start stepping in to finance cadet programs after a long gap.

“I predict that 2023 will be the year of the cadet program. As long as airlines can offer a job at the end of training, schools can use that to set up financing programs.”

“This industry follows quite a pronounced boom and bust cycle,” concludes Buerger. “We just had the biggest bust in the history of this industry and the effects of it could lead to the biggest boom the pilot training industry has ever experienced.”

The full article can be found on AeroTime Hub.

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Global Pilot Training Organisation Announces Placement of 100+ Graduates with Airlines

L3Harris Airline Academy has announced that as of mid-March 2022 – more than a hundred of its graduates have found employment opportunities since the beginning of the year in part due to L3Harris Airline Academy’s strong Graduate Placement Team. Especially low-cost carrier have been hiring graduates with more than 50 graduates joining EasyJet and nearly 30 which are currently doing their type rating with RyanAir.

For more information, kindly contact L3Harris Airline Academy.

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