Airlines working to combat pilot shortages
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - More and more people are looking to fly after COVID-19 grounded flights for years.
But the industry is having trouble taking off because of a shortage of qualified pilots.
Airlines are hiring thousands of employees. United expects carriers will need 10,000 new pilots this year but only have 6,000 qualified candidates.
The cost and years of training discourage many from the job. To tackle that, carriers like United have started their flight school.
"They're still four-to-five years away from showing up for their first day in a United airlines cockpit," said United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby. "But it is the right kind of long-term answer to creating more, not just solving the pilot shortage, but creating good careers for people and giving people access to careers that can be life-changing for them, their families, and their communities."
Kirby added, to go through flight school, your only real options are spending time in the military or having access to $100,000 to pay for the training.