More than 9,000 new ATPs Produced Over Last Year, Almost 2,500 more than All of 2019

The pilot shortage may see a small respite of sorts, as statisticians dig into FAA numbers to see that 9,087 freshly certificated commercial airline pilots have been minted in the last 12 months, besting 2019 numbers by nearly 2,500 pilots.

The ALPA is happy to see the improvement, as Captain Joe DePete announced at the Association’s annual Air Safety Forum. The number of forecasted ATP-MELs created could reach 10,000 new airline-ready pilots should the current trend hold. The numbers were underscored by a new advertising campaign from the Association that seeks to inform the flying public about the “airline’s attempts to undermine pilot training and safety rules.” 

Since the passage of the Airline Safety and Federal Aviation Administration Extension Act of 2010 and the regulations that resulted, we have reduced airline passenger fatalities by 99.8 percent. Yet, despite these lifesaving results underpinned by data, some in the airline industry are attempting to distort the facts and manipulate the indisputable data about pilot supply. ALPA will oppose with its full weight these and any other efforts to evade, undermine, weaken, or repeal first officer qualification, experience, and training requirements,” said DePete.

“Our union stands ready to work with any industry stakeholder on constructive ways to ensure we have a robust and diverse pilot pipeline. However, we will give no ground when it comes to the hard-fought gains that we have made in safety. Turning back the clock will not advance our lifesaving work. Shortcuts and workarounds simply won’t fly when it comes to protecting the traveling public and frontline workers whose labor drives the air transportation system,” said DePete in closing. 

FMI: www.alpa.org