2004 Showing Great Promise

The folks at AIR, Inc., tell ANN that  while this is traditionally a slow recruiting month, the number of pilots hired in December decreased only slightly. A total of 351 pilots were hired and, once again, the Nationals led the chart with 166. The Non-jet Operator division hired 80 pilots, a strong enough showing to replace the Jet Operators, who came in 3rd with 68. Once again, Non-jet Operators maintained their low furlough numbers, reporting just 42 pilots still on furlough at the end of 2003. AIR, Inc.'s predicts up to 6.500 new pilot jobs for 2004, with 500 furlough recalls.

When comparing 2002 to 2003, the 33% decrease in the hiring levels does not indicate the current trend for 2004. We must take into account that 2003 brought with it continued affects from 9/11, complicated with the introduction of the SARs epidemic, and a war in Iraq that took a heavy toll on international travel. Take into consideration all three variants and it's a wonder the airlines were hiring at all! Surprisingly, the Majors hired only 43 fewer pilots (8.5%) than the previous year. The Nationals increased their hiring percentage by 2.12. The Non-jets category dropped radically - 82.84% - but not as drastically as the Fractional division, which toppled a staggering 436%.

The hiring forecast for 2004 already has a halo glowing around it. Airlines reporting monthly to AIR, Inc. are forecasting to hire approximately 4,300 pilots in the next 12 months, with the majority of hiring to be done within the National Airlines' sector. The large network of Majors may not be adding new hires to the mainline, but may be able to put furloughed pilots back in the cockpit. United Airlines is poised to emerge from Chapter 11 in June '04, Northwest announced they will be recalling approximately 260 this year, and US Airways announced January 5, that they will be adding 60 Airbuses to their current fleet in 2004. Pilots interested in flying for the Majors might find employment with Southwest, America West, ATA, and possibly FedEx. All combined should hire more than 500 pilots next year.

The DFW AIR, Inc. Airline Pilot Career Job Fair/Seminar is set for January 16-18 at the Marriott Airport Hotel North. America West, ATA, FedEx, Southwest, JetBlue, AirTran, AirNet, World Aviation Systems, Inc., Pinnacle and CommutAir will be making return appearances. UPS, American Eagle, and USA Jet Airlines will be making their first debut in more than a year. Southwest Airlines will be hosting a reception for all pilot attendees and AIR, Inc. staff on Saturday, January 17, following the Job Fair.

FMI: www.jet-jobs.com