Some regional carriers are still hiring.
Regional aircraft at New York LaGuardia Airport (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)
As travel rebounded after the COVID-19 pandemic, major airlines rushed to hire new pilots. This pulled pilots from regional airlines and led to a hiring spree that lasted over two years. However, with Boeing production delays and new issues involving engines on popular Airbus narrowbodies, hiring at major and regional airlines alike slowed to a near-halt.
Recently, though, some mainline carriers have announced plans to restart pilot classes in early 2025, signaling a potential rebound in pilot hiring. Regional affiliates have announced plans to resume hiring with the expectation of higher pilot attrition.
Other regionals are still hiring in the process of recovering to pre-pandemic operation levels. Though hiring is slow, some regional airlines do still have spots open for new first officer hopefuls.
There are a number of factors that go into picking a regional. Many people decide based on flow agreements, or lack thereof, to their major airline of choice. Some wholly-owned regionals guarantee flows to their parent company airlines.
Some applicants apply based on which bases a given airline has. Eliminating commutes can have significant benefits on quality of life and work/life balance and make it easier to pick up extra trips to build more time. Other factors include opportunities for growth into managerial, training, or line-check positions.
Republic Airways, which operates flights on behalf of each legacy airline in the U.S., is currently hiring both first officers and captains. The airline operates one of the largest dedicated fleets of Embraer E175 aircraft in the country and offers guaranteed interviews with Delta and United. Bases include Boston, Chicago, Columbus, Indianapolis, Louisville, New York, Philadelphia, and the District of Columbia.
SkyWest Airlines, the largest regional airline in the U.S., is also hiring new first officers. The company operates both the Bombardier CRJ series as well as the Embraer E175. With bases across the country, SkyWest has options for a variety of crewmembers. Like Republic, the airline operates for each major airline in the U.S.
A SkyWest Airlines Bombardier CRJ-700 aircraft on final approach at O’Hare International Airport. (Photo: Shutterstock | Carlos Yudica)
Wholly-owned American Airlines regionals can also be expected to restart first officer hiring shortly, as the carrier has plans to resume hiring in January 2025. This will provide more room at regionals as their most experienced pilots flow to mainline.
Piedmont Airlines, notably, is already hiring again on the Embraer E145. PSA Airlines is also hiring new first officers again.
Delta Air Lines’ wholly owned subsidiary, Endeavor Air, is also searching for new first officers, The carrier flies the Bombardier CRJ series out of Atlanta, New York, and Detroit.
On the West Coast, Horizon Air is hiring new first officers for its partnership with Alaska Airlines. The company is particularly interested in hiring “Experienced First Officers” at each base.
Airline pilot hiring is cyclical. It varies greatly based on a number of factors such as external political, social, and health events. Delivery and maintenance issues with Boeing and Airbus airplanes are mostly to blame for slowing down major airline hiring and, therefore, regional hiring.
However, hiring always picks back up. As major airline pilots continue to retire and aircraft deliveries pick up, hiring will likely increase back to higher levels.
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