Market Intelligence: North America

US-based Delta Propel Flight Academy Hosts Delta Air Lines Leaders

US airline flight school, Delta Propel Flight Academy, hosted in January 2024 the guests Eric Hendrick, Director of Pilot Outreach, Recruitment, and Selection for Delta Air Lines, and Patrick Burns, Vice President of Flight Ops and System Chief Pilot for Delta Air Lines at its Vero Beach facilities at global pilot training group Skyborne.

The visit provided an invaluable opportunity for the aspiring Delta pilots at Skyborne to reconnect with these industry leaders.

Back in August 2023 Delta’s Propel Flight Academy officially opened Tuesday in Vero Beach. “I’m so proud to work with Delta,” said Skyborne CEO Lee Woodward back in August. “I think the future for this academy, clearly, will get better and better. This is going to be the flagship partner training academy in the world.”

Source: Noah Smith
Photo Credit: Noah Smith

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US-Based University Added New Flight Simulator in 2023 Manufactured by Flightdeck Solutions

The Aviation Institute at University of Nebraska Omaha (UNO) faced a significant challenge in preparing its aviation students for successful transitions into professional pilot careers. As a partner in career pathway programs with major airlines, UNO needed a realistic training device that could familiarize students with advanced flight management systems, autopilot systems, and crew resource management training.

FDS Solution/Approach

UNO sought a practical and cost-effective solution to enhance their training program. After considering various options, they chose the Flightdeck Solutions FDS-B737NG-FTD flight training device. The device stood out for its full tactile experience, realistic controls, impressive visuals, and affordability.

Scott Vlasek, UNO Aviation Institute Program Director and key figure in the decision-making process, stated, “The FDS trainer addresses our needs very well. Every 737 pilot that has been in the device was impressed with its realism – it looks and feels like the actual aircraft.”

The decision to choose the B737NG model aligned perfectly with UNO’s partnership with Southwest Airlines Destination 225 and United Airlines Aviate Career Pathway Programs.

Outcome

The FDS B737NG device has significantly contributed to UNO’s aviation program, becoming a central marketing and educational tool. The device’s installation has attracted prospective students nationwide, enhancing the university’s enrollment objectives. Furthermore, it has provided invaluable hands-on experience to students, particularly through unique opportunities like “Fly with a Southwest Pilot” or “Fly with a United Pilot” events.

Vlasek highlighted the broader impact of the simulator, “The ability to showcase this fantastic device to various groups has brought attention to our program. It validated the decision of our funders and has helped us continue to grow and expand.”

The success of the FDS device at UNO has not only elevated the training quality but has also garnered attention from university leadership, congressional representatives, and the local aviation community. Vlasek enthusiastically recommends FDS devices to other institutions for their realism, affordability, and the value they add to aviation education. With plans to potentially expand and integrate more FDS devices in the future, UNO is set on a path of continued growth and innovation in aviation training.

Source: Flightdeck Solutions
Photo Credit: University of Nebraska Omaha

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US Certified Flight Instructor Number Increased 20 Percent from 2019 to 2023 to 93,567

The Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA) released updated data from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) showing the agency issued 11,225 airline pilot certificates (ATP-MELs) during the 2023 calendar year, exceeding analyst forecasts and airline demand for new aviators. This is the second year in a row that pilot production numbers are breaking records. In addition to the impressive pilot production numbers, the number of certified flight instructors totaled 93,567, a nearly 20 percent increase over 2019, further demonstrating that the airline pilot pipeline remains strong and robust – and there is no need to make unstudied, arbitrary changes to U.S. aviation safety regulations.

“For months, corporate special interests in Washington have been crying wolf about a lack of available, qualified airline pilots, misrepresenting the facts in a naked attempt to protect to their profits while advocating changes in the law that would significantly complicate air travel for millions of Americans,” said Capt. Jason Ambrosi, ALPA President. “Once again, the data demonstrates that America does not have a pilot supply problem. Instead, we have a problem with some being willing to say and do anything to advance their narrow agenda at the expense of what’s best for the American traveling public. We have more than enough qualified pilots and raising the pilot retirement age is an ill-conceived solution to a non-existent problem, plain and simple.”

As the Senate prepares for the markup of the FAA reauthorization on Thursday, special interests continue to promote misinformation and misleading data to manufacture a crisis that will have real complications for air travel by introducing uncertainty into the system through raising the pilot retirement age to 67.

“This narrative that the U.S. lacks enough pilots does not reflect reality. Increasing the pilot retirement age will disrupt airline operations, increase ticket prices, upend collective bargaining agreements, create a cascading and costly training backlog and put the United States out of compliance with international standards,” added Ambrosi.

Founded in 1931, ALPA is the largest airline pilot union in the world and represents more than 77,000 pilots at 43 U.S. and Canadian airlines.

Source: ALPA

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IATA: Global Air Travel Demand Continued Its Bounce Back in 2023

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that the recovery in air travel continued in December 2023 and total 2023 traffic edged even closer to matching pre-pandemic demand.

Total traffic in 2023 (measured in revenue passenger kilometers or RPKs) rose 36.9% compared to 2022. Globally, full year 2023 traffic was at 94.1% of pre-pandemic (2019) levels. December 2023 total traffic rose 25.3% compared to December 2022 and reached 97.5% of the December 2019 level. Fourth quarter traffic was at 98.2% of 2019, reflecting the strong recovery towards the end of the year.

International traffic in 2023 climbed 41.6% versus 2022 and reached 88.6% of 2019 levels. December 2023 international traffic climbed 24.2% over December 2022, reaching 94.7% of the level in December 2019. Fourth quarter traffic was at 94.5% of 2019.

Domestic traffic for 2023 rose 30.4% compared to the prior year. 2023 domestic traffic was 3.9% above the full year 2019 level. December 2023 domestic traffic was up 27.0% over the year earlier period and was at 2.3% above December 2019 traffic. Fourth quarter traffic was 4.4% higher than the same quarter in 2019.

“The strong post-pandemic rebound continued in 2023. December traffic stood just 2.5% below 2019 levels, with a strong performance in quarter 4, teeing-up airlines for a return to normal growth patterns in 2024. The recovery in travel is good news. The restoration of connectivity is powering the global economy as people travel to do business, further their educations, take hard-earned vacations and much more. But to maximize the benefits of air travel in the post-pandemic world, governments need to take a strategic approach. That means providing cost-efficient infrastructure to meet demand, incentivizing Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) production to meet our net zero carbon emission goal by 2050, and adopting regulations that deliver a clear cost-benefit. Completing the recovery must not be an excuse for governments to forget the critical role of aviation to increasing the prosperity and well-being of people and businesses the world over,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.

International Passenger Markets

Asia-Pacific airlines posted a 126.1% rise in full year international 2023 traffic compared to 2022, maintaining the strongest year-over-year rate among the regions. Capacity rose 101.8% and the load factor climbed 9.0 percentage points to 83.1%. December 2023 traffic rose 56.9% compared to December 2022.

European carriers’ full year traffic climbed 22.0% versus 2022. Capacity increased 17.5%, and load factor rose 3.1 percentage points to 83.8%. For December, demand climbed 13.6% compared to the same month in 2022. December traffic was higher than the corresponding month in 2019 for the first time since the start of the pandemic.

Middle Eastern airlines saw a 33.3% traffic rise in 2023 compared to 2022. Capacity increased 26.0% and load factor climbed 4.4 percentage points to 80.1%. December demand climbed 16.6% compared to the same month in 2022.

North American carriers reported a 28.3% annual traffic rise in 2023 compared to 2022. Capacity increased 22.4%, and load factor climbed 3.9 percentage points to 84.6%. December 2023 traffic rose 13.5% compared to the year-ago period.

Latin American airlines posted a 28.6% traffic rise in 2023 over full year 2022. Annual capacity climbed 25.4% and load factor increased 2.1 percentage points to 84.7%, the highest among the regions. December demand climbed 26.5% compared to December 2022.

African airlines’ annual traffic rose 38.7% in 2023 versus the prior year. Full year 2023 capacity was up 38.3% and load factor climbed 0.2 percentage points to 71.9%, the lowest among regions. December 2023 traffic for African airlines rose 9.5% over December 2022.

China’s full year domestic traffic rose 138.8% versus 2022, and is now 7.1% above the 2019 level.

Australia (-4.2% compared to 2019) and Japan (-3.2% compared to 2019) are the only major domestic markets yet to recover pre-pandemic traffic demand.

Source: IATA
Photo Credit: IATA

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