United Airlines, one of Boeing’s biggest customers, has announced that it will halt pilot recruitment this spring due to delays in aircraft deliveries from the plane maker. The decision comes as Boeing continues to grapple with production flaws and certification delays, causing disruptions for its clients.
According to a memo seen by CNBC, new hire classes at United Airlines will be paused in May and June, with plans to resume in July. Marc Champion, vice president of flight operations, and Kirk Limacher, vice president of flight ops planning and development, stated in the memo that the slowdown in pilot hires is a result of ongoing certification and manufacturing delays at Boeing.
Boeing has been facing a series of production issues, including incorrectly drilled holes on the fuselage and a door plug incident involving a Boeing Max 9 operated by Alaska Airlines. These problems have led to a temporary grounding of certain aircraft types and further delayed deliveries to customers.
United Airlines had initially expected to receive 43 Boeing 737 Max 8 and 34 Max 9 models this year. However, they now anticipate receiving only 37 and 19 of them, respectively. Additionally, the airline had planned to receive 80 Max 10s in 2024, but it does not expect any deliveries of this model in the current year. The Max 10 has yet to be certified by the Federal Aviation Administration and is significantly behind schedule.
United’s CEO, Scott Kirby, had previously stated that the airline is developing a fleet plan without the Max 10 due to ongoing delays at Boeing. The company’s vice presidents reiterated this sentiment in their memo, expressing uncertainty over when the aircraft will arrive.
This decision by United Airlines to pause pilot hiring is not an isolated incident in the industry. Other U.S. carriers have also slowed down their pilot growth, following a period of aggressive hiring in recent years. The pandemic-induced slump in demand led many airlines to encourage staff to take early retirement, resulting in a shortage of aviators. Additionally, both Boeing and Airbus have faced supply chain constraints, further delaying aircraft deliveries.
American Airlines, for example, hired around 2,000 pilots last year and plans to add approximately 1,300 more this year. Delta Air Lines, on the other hand, is halving its pilot hiring in 2023 after a record intake of 2,400 pilots the previous year. Southwest Airlines will also be pausing pilot hiring after completing a new-hire class this month.
The combination of pilot shortages and delayed aircraft deliveries has contributed to an increase in airfares. As airlines struggle to meet growing demand with limited resources, prices have risen. Some carriers, like Spirit Airlines, have even halted pilot hiring altogether as part of their efforts to slow growth and reduce costs.
Overall, the decision by United Airlines to halt pilot recruitment due to Boeing’s delivery delays serves as another setback for both the airline and the plane maker. As Boeing continues to address its production flaws and work towards certification of its aircraft models, the aviation industry must navigate the challenges posed by a shortage of pilots and slow aircraft deliveries.
