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IN THIS MONTH'S EDITION:
- THE REGIONAL WHIPSAW CONTINUES.
- THE ADVANTAGE OF CADET PROGRAMS
- IS IT TOO LATE TO GET INTO AVIATION?
- ATTEND JOB FAIRS!
COME SEE US AT BOOTH 214 AT NGPA FEBRUARY 13-14
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THE REGIONAL WHIPSAW CONTINUES.
In an unexpected announcement this past week, we learned that American Airlines is cutting ties with contracted regional partner Air Wisconsin (AW). Just a couple of years ago, Air Wisconsin was similarly dropped by United Airlines, except at that time, American stepped in saving them. This time, it doesn’t appear that any other airline is searching for a new regional partner. This leaves Air Wisconsin in a similar state that ExpressJet, TSA, and others found themselves not long ago which eventually led to them going out of business. That's not to say that AW will go out of business, however, they do face an uncertain future.
“Regional whipsaw” is a slang term in our industry that describes how quickly regionals can go from boom to bust at the whim of their mainline partners. Termination between a mainline and a regional can be due to a number of reasons, including performance, but is particularly owed to costs. The implications of this announcement are wide ranging for airline hiring. Pilots who are comfortable at their regionals should take heed of what has happened to be aware that this could also befall their regionals.
While AW will try to rebrand itself to fly their Essential Air Service routes, these attempts usually leave the airline a shell of its former self, just as we have seen before. Therefore, with less flying comes the need for fewer pilots leading to possible furloughs. MANY pilots from Air Wisconsin with turbine PIC will likely hit the hiring market soon which means increased competition for regional and legacy jobs. Where the AW pilots will land remains to be seen since no regional has announced drastic growth in order to take over what Air Wisconsin currently does.
As we mentioned in last month’s item, How to Secure a Job Offer in 2025, don’t be lazy. It is imperative to always be improving yourself for the next step. While regional pilot life is good now, we have once again seen how quickly it can change. Challenge yourself to take the next step so you are at less risk of becoming a victim of the “regional whipsaw.”
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THE ADVANTAGE OF CADET PROGRAMS
The airline hiring environment is shifting once again. After a rapid slowdown in 2024, it appears that 2025 could produce a mixed bag of hiring data. Some airlines are trimming their hiring forecasts, while others are closely guarding their expected number of new hires. We have also seen many regional carriers slow their hiring to a trickle while qualified pilots are struggling to get a call. So, what is happening?
To get straight to the point, regionals are hiring mostly from their cadet programs, and if you're not in one, you're going to have a harder time being hired. In February 2023, we held a webinar encouraging pilots to get into cadet programs before they filled because we started seeing the “writing on the wall.” For those who haven't joined cadet programs, the next best time to join is today as the process can take some time.
We also encourage our readers to join multiple cadet programs at various airlines. Most of the regional airlines’ cadet programs are non-committal, meaning that you can be in their cadet program, yet if you are hired by another airline, there are no repercussions. As mentioned in last month's newsletter, take the shotgun approach and apply everywhere. Whether it’s applying for major airlines or for regional cadet programs, apply for as many as you can to give yourself the best chance for success.
Airline hiring is constantly changing, and these are the latest updates as of January 15, 2025.
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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
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UPCOMING RECRUITING EVENTS | |
NGPA Feb 13-14 Palm Springs, CA
WAI Mar 27-29 Denver, CO
PAPA June 2-4 Las Vegas, NV
TPNx Apr 16-17 Minneapolis, MN
OBAP Aug 6-8 Tacoma, WA
LPA Sep 19-19 Orlando, FL
RTAG Oct 4-5 Denver, CO
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| 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 | | |
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| Airline Cadet Programs |
| | PROGRAM | AIRLINE | ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS | | AA Cadet Academy | American | YES | | Aviate | United | YES | | Destination 225 | Southwest | YES | | Propel | Delta | YES | | |
ANY AIRLINE HIRING QUESTIONS YOU NEED ANSWERED? |
If you have any recruiting questions that you would like to see us answer in future editions, send an email to [email protected]
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