I know United Delta and Spirit all took pay cuts, and early retirements to have 0 furloughs of pilots. Now that they got new aid, do the pilots all here get back to full pay(meaning full min monthly pay ;ie 72 or 75 hours)?
We did not actually take a pay cut, we agreed to work less days per month at the same pay rate. So less pay, but also less work. With the new aid package, we are back to full pay and work through March.
Chris
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Hey guys,
First post here, so with the above, does that mean since they got rid of the pilots near retirement age that this will bring the pilot shortage closer? Will they still be hiring most likely like pre-Covid levels say in 2+ years or what do you both feel?
ie has Covid been a short term bad thing for new pilots but long term gain or what
John,
I’ve been saying this from the beginning. Part of the reason there was (is) a pilot shortage was the amount of retirements due over the next decade. By offering early retirements they have in essence accelerated and compressed the number of retirements exacerbating the situation. “Fortunately” for the airlines the pandemic has given them the opportunity to breath a little but I wholeheartedly believe once the industry recovers (which it will) the shortage will be worse than before.
Adam
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John,
I agree with Adam here, but I also want to point out that I think it will take a few years for the shortage to come back full swing. I see an imminent demand for family vacation travel and travel to see friends and family. But I suspect that international and business travel will take more time to come back. Hence, I think that this will give airlines a chance to make more calculated hiring decisions. But yes, eventually the shortage will be worse than before.
Tory
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John,
I think what often gets lost in this discussion as that the so-called “shortage” was a relatively new phenomenon. For decades before the shortage existed, pilots still trained and got hired. Adam, Tory and myself were all hired during non-shortage times. The FAA mandates that airline pilots retire by age 65, this means that there is a constant string of retirements and that those pilots need to be replaced, shortage or not.
Chris