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Southwest to Reduce Pilot Head Count at Several Bases

Hundreds of pilots will face displacements.

Southwest 737

A Southwest Boeing 737 aircraft (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)

Southwest is set to substantially reduce the number of pilots at several of its bases this spring. On Monday, the carrier’s vice president of crew planning announced the projected shake-up in a memo shared by aviation watchdog JonNYC.

Last year, the Dallas-based airline shared plans to cut 140 pilot jobs in Atlanta as it scales back capacity in the market. That number will now move to 115.

Among the hardest-hit bases will be Denver, which will see a reduction of around 155 pilots between April and May. The displacements will impact both captains and first officers.

Other bases are planned to also see double-digit cuts. These include Dallas, Los Angeles, Orlando, Florida, and Oakland, California.

The memo added that Southwest expects “significant growth” in Baltimore and Nashville, Tennessee, by May. The carrier is opening multiple captain and first officer positions in those two bases along with Chicago.

A Southwest spokesperson noted that these changes come as the airline shifts the number of aircraft remaining overnight at some airports. Southwest plans to begin red-eye flights next month.

“The modest reductions to our Crew bases in Atlanta and Denver are part of our previously announced strategy to efficiently maximize the revenue-generating potential of our fleet and accommodate Customer demand. Employees will transfer to other bases and no reductions in force have occurred,” the spokesperson said in a statement.

These moves come just days after the carrier paused corporate hiring and events in its latest cost-cutting effort. Southwest will also suspend some internships this summer.

“You’ll begin to see and feel efforts related to our cost initiative in the coming weeks, including some hard decisions I’ve had to make,” Southwest CEO Bob Jordan shared in a memo last week.

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  • Ryan Ewing

    Ryan founded AirlineGeeks.com back in February 2013 and has amassed considerable experience in the aviation sector. His work has been featured in several publications and news outlets, including CNN, WJLA, CNET, and Business Insider. During his time in the industry, he's worked in roles pertaining to airport/airline operations while holding a B.S. in Air Transportation Management from Arizona State University along with an MBA. Ryan has experience in several facets of the industry from behind the yoke of a Cessna 172 to interviewing airline industry executives. Ryan works for AirlineGeeks' owner FLYING Media, spearheading coverage in the commercial aviation space.

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