“Let me be very clear: an abrupt, temporary hiring disruption – driven entirely by an abrupt, aircraft delivery disruption – is not the same thing as fixing the pilot shortage. Despite misleading reports to the contrary, the pilot shortage has not been fixed and if we do not act now to address the pilot shortage, small communities will continue to feel its impact.
Despite the temporary slowdown, large airline hiring in the first quarter of 2024 outpaced the supply of new pilots and the pilot supply/demand balance will rapidly worsen as large carrier aircraft deliveries recover. While new pilot certifications vary from month to month, the pipeline has moderated from post-pandemic highs. Meanwhile, pilot retirements will skyrocket over the next five years – reaching a peak in 2029, when 57 percent more qualified Air Transport Pilots will reach mandatory retirement age compared with 2024. Retirements will then stay at or near peak for more than a decade. We must address the pilot shortage to be prepared when mainline aircraft deliveries resume amidst escalating retirements.
Failing to act will undermine the efforts of hundreds of communities across the country that are trying to build back air service from the pandemic. Comparing January 2024 with January 2020 departures, 317 airports (74 %) have lost an average of 25% of their flights. During the same time, 12 airports lost all commercial service, 37 airports lost more than half their flights, and large carriers have exited more than 121 markets.
Today’s pilot pool is not just shallow; it lacks diversity. Fewer than 10% of today’s pilots are women or people of color. Using a lull in attrition as an excuse to discourage policies to improve career access and training would shortsighted and harmful.
We urge all stakeholders to reject cynical ploys to barricade this transformative career and instead to take every needed step to strengthen pilot training, career access, and retention.”
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The Regional Airline Association (RAA) provides a unified voice of advocacy for North American regional airlines aimed at promoting a safe, reliable and strong regional airline industry. RAA serves as an important support network connecting regional airlines and industry business partners. In the United States, regional airlines operate 41% of scheduled passenger flights and provide the only source of scheduled air service to 67% of the nation’s airports.
Regional airlines provide 75% or more of the air service in Alabama (81%), Alaska (88%), Arkansas (81%), Iowa (78%), Kansas (82%), Maine (79%), Mississippi (82%), North Dakota (88%), South Dakota (85%), Vermont (92%), West Virginia (91%). Regional airlines provide half or more of the air service in Idaho (73%), Indiana (59%), Kentucky (60%), Michigan (57%), Montana (73%), Nebraska (60%), New Hampshire (69%), New Mexico (63%), North Carolina (55%), Ohio (52%), Oklahoma (55%), Oregon (54%), Pennsylvania (59%), Rhode Island (67%), South Carolina (57%), Utah (58%), Wisconsin (67%), and Wyoming (64%).
2022 Charlotte Douglas International Airport Report of Achievement
Giving back to the community is central to what Charlotte Douglas International Airport and its operator, the City of Charlotte Aviation Department, is about, and last year was no different.
Throughout 2022, while recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, we continued our efforts to have a positive impact on the Charlotte community. Of particular note, we spent the year sharing stories of how Connections Don't Just Happen at the Terminal - from creating homeownership and employment opportunities to supporting economic growth through small-business development and offering outreach programs to help residents understand the Airport better.
This whitepaper highlights the construction projects, initiatives, programs and events that validate Charlotte Douglas as a premier airport.
Download the whitepaper: 2022 Charlotte Douglas International Airport Report of Achievement.