FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 17, 2006
Contact: Kit Darby, ext. 103
Corey Mobley, ext. 170

Airline Pilot Hiring
March ’06 Summary

Airlines reporting to AIR, Inc. hired more than 760 pilots in March. The Nationals and the Majors set the pace hiring 230 and 237 pilots respectively. The Fractionals took over third position by adding 95 pilots to their flight decks, followed by the Non-Jet Operators with 79 and the Jet Operators with 38.

Northwest Airlines (NWA) may launch is new subsidiary "Compass" as early as June with daily nonstop service from IAD to MSP. NWA paid $2 million to purchase FLYi’s operating certificate and is waiting for title transfer approval. Operations will begin using CRJ-200s but larger jets, such as the CRJ-900 or EMB-175, may be added in 2007.

Mesa Airlines will launch its new Hawaiian interisland subsidiary, go! On June 9. The new low-cost carrier will use a 50-seat CRJ-200s, offering service between Honolulu, Maui, Lihue, and Hilo.

Hooters Air, citing industry turmoil as the catalyst, is grounding all operations on April 17. Subsidiary Pace Airline will limit is flights to group and sports team charters only out of Winston-Salem, NC.

United Airlines (UAL) is strengthening its presence in China through a code-share agreement with Shanghai Airlines. The agreement would provide UAL’s customers with access to four new major cities in China, as well as convenient connections at Pudong International Airport and frequent-flyer rewards for travel within China. With bilateral talks on passenger air service to begin between the U.S. and China in April UAL is hoping the talks lead to additional service to Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. UAL is also working to expand their code-share agreement with Air China.

AIR, Inc.’s May 20 Atlanta Job Fair, to be held a the Wyndham Peachtree Conference Center in Peachtree City, already has a growing airlines and companies signed up to attend which include: Majors: AirTran, FedEx, and JetBlue. Nationals: AirNet, American Eagle, ASA, Pinnacle, SkyWest, and World Airways. Jet/Non-Jet Operators: Island Air, and USA Jet Airlines. Fractionals: Avantair and CitationShares. Crew Leasing: IASCO and Rishworth. Others: CAE Simuflite. Exhibitors: ALPA, ATP, Higher Power Aviation, Pan Am Flight Academy, Phenix Group, and Regional Airline Academy. For details on this Job Fair or future seminars, visit our Web site at www.jet-jobs.com, or call 800 JET-JOBS (538-5627).

Sincerely,
Kit Darby, President & Publisher

FURLOUGHS AS OF April 10, 2006
Airline Number of
Pilot Furloughs		 Total Pilots Percentage of Pilots Furloughed
Majors
Airborne Express 16 760 2.1%
AirTran Airways 0 1,200 N/A
Alaska Airlines 0 1,490 N/A
American West Airlines 0 1,915 N/A
American Airlines 2,847 12,817 22.2%
ASTAR Air Cargo 0 550 N/A
ATA Airlines 366 800 38.6%
Continental Airlines 0 4,500 N/A
Delta Air Lines 538 7,971 6.7%
FedEx 0 4,450 N/A
jetBlue 0 1,245 N/A
Northwest Airlines 726 5.700 12.7%
Southwest Airlines 0 4,800 N/A
United Airlines 1,595 7,157 22.3%
United Parcel Service 0 2,700 N/A
US Airways 1,919 7,554 25.4%
TOTAL 8,007 65,609 12.2%
Airline Number of Pilot Furloughs Total Pilots Percentage of Pilots Furloughed
Nationals
Air Transport International 0 275 N/A
Air Wisconsin 0 2,600 N/A
AirNet Express 0 288 N/A
Aloha Airlines 24 336 7.1%
American Eagle 0 3,116 N/A
Atlantic Southeast 0 1,732 N/A
Atlas Air 0 694 N/A
Champion Air 26 150 17.33%
Comair 0 1,934 N/A
Evergreen Int’l Airlines 0 235 N/A
ExpresssJet 0 2,400 N/A
Florida West Int'l Airways 0 12 N/A
Frontier Airlines 0 503 N/A
Gemini Air Cargo 0 286 N/A
Hawaiian Airlines 98 400 24.5%
Horizon Air 0 700 N/A
Kalitta Air 0 300 N/A
Mesa Airlines 0 1,375 N/A
Mesaba Airlines 146 950 14.3%
Miami Air Int'l 0 100 N/A
Midwest Express Airlines 0 285 N/A
Omni Air Int'l 0 150 N/A
Piedmont Airlines 0 550 N/A
Pinnacle Airlines 0 1,200 N/A
Polar Air Cargo 0 322 N/A
Republic Airways 0 722 N/A
Ryan Int'l Airlines 0 427 N/A
SkyWest Airlines 0 2,250 N/A
Spirit Airlines 0 401 N/A
Sun Country Airlines 90 235 48.3%
Trans States Airlines 0 650 N/A
USA 3000 0 80 N/A
US Airways/Piedmont 0 476 N/A
US Airways/PSA 0 613 N/A
World Airways 0 459 N/A
TOTAL 375 27,206 1.4%
Total Jet Operators 114 2,453 4.6%
Total Non-Jet Operators 3 3,108 .1%
Total Fractionals 0 4,006 N/A
Total Crew Leasing/Foreign/Training 0 12,520 N/A
Total Upstarts 0 131 N/A
AIRLINE TOTAL 8,499 115,033 7.4%
Notes:
  • TBD = To be determined

www.jet-jobs.com
800 JET-JOBS (538-5627)

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