November 2024, From The Interview Table

Aero Crew Solutions

November 15, 2024

Is Airline Hiring Returning?

November 2024

WWW.AEROCREWSOLUTIONS.COM

IN THIS MONTH'S EDITION:

UPDATE YOUR APPLICATIONS!
IS AIRLINE HIRING INCREASING AGAIN?
IS YOU UNION SERVING YOU? CONTINUED…
MONTHLY AIRLINE HIRING UPDATE
DO I NEED A COLLEGE DEGREE?

NEXT MONTH: OUR CHECKLIST FOR YOUR SUCCESS IN 2025!

TIPS FROM OUR RECRUITERS

Filling out airline applications can be daunting. There is a multitude of things to fill out and it can take hours to complete. However, once you complete your application, we don't recommend that you just sit and wait for a call. It is VERY important that you update your application at least once every 30 days. This will provide your target airlines your most current experience and keep your application at the “top of the pile” which will increase your chances of being called. When you are updating your applications, make sure to look over the whole application to ensure everything from your flight time to your personal information is up to date.

IS AIRLINE HIRING COMING BACK?

As 2024 is coming to a close, we are starting to see glimpses into 2025 hiring plans for the major airlines, and they look quite positive for those looking to land a job. Here is what the 2025 hiring market is beginning to look like.

American recently announced that pilot interviews are resuming and classes will restart on January 8, 2025.
Alaska will start new-hire classes in Q2 of 2025.
Delta will restart classes again in 2025 after hitting their 2024 goal of about 1000 pilot hires.
Hawaiian announced that they will start hiring pilots from their current CJO pool.
United will keep its steady flow of new-hire classes continuing for the foreseeable future.

What does this mean for everyone else? As we saw in 2022 and 2023, a wave of major airline hiring causes regional airlines to lose pilots, usually leaving captain positions to be filled. This all begins a chain reaction of pilot hiring down to regional first officers. Some airlines may lag and wait to start hiring while others may try to get a head start to beat the wave. Regardless, we expect most passenger airlines to be hiring pilots at some point next year. If hiring goes as forecasted for the majors, regional pilots as well as ATP-eligible pilots should see a lot of opportunities come their way in 2025.

As we have seen, hiring forecasts are just that. Forecasts. Anything can cause hiring to increase, or more likely go to zero if the economy shifts. Stay ready and keep your applications updated so you can be first to get the call.

Airline hiring is constantly changing, and these are the latest updates as of November 15, 2024.

	LEGACY AIRLINES
AIRLINE	HIRING	DETAILS
Alaska	NO	Plans to resume hiring in Q2 2025
Americ an	YES	Hiring. Classes restart January 8, 2025
Delta	YES	2024 classes are full. Filling 2025 classes
Hawaiian	YES	Hiring FO's from CJO pool
United	YES	Hiring First Officers

IS YOUR UNION SERVING YOUR NEEDS? CONTINUED…

Last month, we discussed how workers’ unions have been in the news lately for various reasons, both good and bad. We also ran a poll asking whether our readers felt that their union was serving their needs and the results were quite shocking. Our results are…

Yes (Union serves their needs) 53%

No (Does not serve their needs) 47%

So, what can be done to change these results for the better? The first and most important thing that you, as a union member, can do is let your opinions be heard. Union leaders might not know there is a problem with how things are going unless the members let them know. However, if this doesn't produce the results that you want, find a way to get involved in your union. You don't have to run for an elected position and campaign to get involved in your union. There are countless committees to which you can apply that will get your foot in the door, and just might get you a seat at the table so you can help enact change.

Because nearly half our respondents feel that their union doesn't serve them, doesn't necessarily mean it's true. Unions offer a vast network of resources and an array of benefits for pilots such as: having someone available nearly 24/7 to answer questions, having a medical advisor team, securing better hotels, building better work trips, offering disability plans, etc. They offer all these things solely as benefits to their pilot group. Many pilots only hear of the work that is done on contracts and the enforcement of issues that arise within the company. We encourage you to take a look into what your union does for you behind the scenes.

ATTENDING AN UPCOMING JOB FAIR?

We know first-hand that attending a job fair can be stressful. The dozens of recruiters and thousands of attendees all around you make them hectic events. Meanwhile your sole focus is making the best impression you can to the airline recruiters of your preferred airline.

If you are wanting to stand out from the rest when you have your one-on-one with a recruiter but don't know where to start, we can help!

Aero Crew Solutions offers a one-hour job fair preparation to help you stand out! We will review your résumé and help talk about any questions that may come up about your background. We will also help answer any questions you may have about you or the company.

For more information, or to sign up, CLICK HERE

	REGIONAL & LCC
AIRLINE	HIRING	DETAILS
Air Wisconsin	YES	Hiring DEC's
Allegiant	NO	Pilot Application Window is Closed
Avelo	YES	Hiring DEC's and First Officers
Breeze	NO	Not currently hiring
Cape Air	YES	Hiring DEC's
CommuteAir	YES	Hiring DEC's and FO's
Endeavor	YES	Hiring DEC's and FO's
Envoy	YES	Hiring FO's
Frontier	YES	Hiring FO's
GoJet	YES	Hiring DEC's
Horizon	YES	Hiring Experienced First Officer's Only
JetBlue	NO	Paused hiring for rest of 2024
Mesa	NO	Not hiring and furloughed ~50 pilots
Piedmont	YES	Hiring FO's
PSA	YES	Hiring FO's
Republic	LEARN MORE	Hiring Pilots
Silver	YES	Hiring DEC's and FO's
Spirit	NO	Not hiring with pilots furloughed
SkyWest	YES	Hiring DEC's and FO's
Southwest	NO	Not hiring through the end of 2024
Sun Country	YES	Hiring First Officers

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HIRING FAQ OF THE MONTH

Q: Do I need a college degree to get hired?

A: While a college degree used to be a strict requirement for many airlines in the past, we have recently seen this requirement largely disappear. During the recent hiring wave, airlines needed to gain access to more candidates who were well qualified yet didn't possess a degree. As a potential candidate, you have to ask, “Would a college degree help me get hired faster?”

While the requirement has gone away, it remains as a preference by airline recruiters that you have a college degree. During times of slower hiring, as we have recently seen, a college degree might differentiate two candidates who otherwise have the same flying experience. During times of rapid hiring, this might not matter. In whatever stage the hiring market is, you want to be the most qualified pilot at the top of the list.

Another common misconception is that your college degree needs to be related to aviation. That is undeniably false. In fact, airline recruiters sometimes like to see a degree in a field completely different from aviation. This may show that you can work hard on multiple areas, and that you are a well-rounded individual who will benefit their airline.

We want to ensure the best success for our clients. This is why we recommend that you earn a college degree in a field of your choice. This can set you apart within the pool of candidates and get you hired quicker and even open up additional opportunities outside the flight deck.

	CARGO
AIRLINE	HIRING	DETAILS
ABX	NO	Not currently hiring
Ameriflight	NO	Not currently hiring
AmeriJet	NO	Stopped hiring with furloughs announced
ATI	NO	Not currently hiring
Atlas	YES	Hiring First Officers
FedEx	NO	Has not been hiring for many months
Freight Runners	NO	Not currently hiring
Kalitta	YES	Hiring First Officers
Mountain Air	YES	Hiring DEC's and FO's
Omni	NO	Not currently hiring. Offering LOA's
UPS	YES	Hiring 300 First Officers in 2024

UPCOMING RECRUITING EVENTS

NGPA Feb 13-14 Palm Springs, CA

WAI Mar 27-29 Denver, CO

PAPA June 2-4 Las Vegas, NV

TPNx TBD Minneapolis, MN

OBAP Aug 6-8 Tacoma, WA

LPA TBD

RTAG TBD Denver, CO

	Corporate/Part 135
COMPANY	HIRING	DETAILS
flyExclusive	YES	Hiring DEC's and First Officers
FlexJet	YES	Hiring First Officers
JSX	YES	Hiring First Officers
NetJets	YES	Hiring First Officers
PlaneSense	YES	Only hiring from applications already on file

IMMEDIATE DIRECT-ENTRY CAPTAIN POSITIONS AVAILABLE

Aero Crew Solutions has immediate direct-entry captain positions open in which we can help place qualified candidates! If you are qualified with over 1,000 hours of Part-121 eligible flight time, reach out to us at [email protected] and we will be happy to help!

Need Help With Application Review, Interview Prep, Job Fair Prep, or General Career Advice?

Reach out to us at www.aerocrewsolutions.com and our team of former airline recruiters will help you get everything ready to further your career! Click here to schedule a FREE confidential consultation.