FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 12, 2006
Contact: Kit Darby, ext. 103
Corey Mobley, ext. 170

Airline Pilot Hiring
April ’06 Summary

Airlines reporting to AIR, Inc. hired more than 770 pilots in April. The Nationals and the Majors set the pace hiring 340 and 195 pilots respectively. The Fractionals added 64 pilots to their flight decks, followed by the Jet Operators with 54 and the Non-Jet Operators with 50.

Southwest Airlines (SWA) placed an order for 79 additional B737-700Ws (with winglets) for a total of 140 on-order. Twenty-six are to be delivered in 2006, (36) in 2007, (30) in 2008, (18) in 2009, (10) in 2010, (10) in 2011, and (10) in 2012. SWA has options on an additional 116.

United Airlines (UAL) currently has 1,520 pilots on furlough, but that figure is changing. In April UAL sent out recall notices to 1, 175 pilots of which 430 have or will be returning to the property by June, 499 bypassed the recall, and 193 accepted the recall but are on military or personal leave status.

Delta Air Lines’ pilots, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, sent a $290 million annual cost-cutting contract to pilots for ratification in late April. The new deal includes 14% in pay cuts, pay raises beginning 2007, more flexible work rule changes, $650 million to $ 1 billion in notes and future stock options. It also allows Delta Connection carriers to operate fifteen 71-76 seat jets with permission to ad an additional 15 by January 1, 2008.

Mesa Airlines is interested in forming a joint venture with one or more Chinese airlines. "This could be a growth area for us" said CEO Jonathan Ornstein. He noted that there are only 40 regional jets in China and that the opportunity exists to connect a "significant number of cities" in mid-China with service.

AIR, Inc.’s May 20 Atlanta Job Fair, to be held at the Wyndham Peachtree Conference Center in Peachtree City, already has a growing airlines and companies signed up to attend which includes: Majors: AirTran, FedEx, and JetBlue. Nationals: AirNet, American Eagle, ASA, Pinnacle, SkyWest, and World Airways. Jet/Non-Jet Operators: Island Air, US Airways/PSA, and USA Jet Airlines. Fractionals: Avantair, CitationShares, and NetJets. Crew Leasing: IASCO. Foreign: Air India, Cathay Pacific, and Emirates. Others: CAE Simuflite, Gulfstream Academy, Pan Am Flight Academy, and Regional Airline Academy. Exhibitors: ALPA, ATP, Higher Power Aviation, and Phenix Group. 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 May 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 537 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 1,541 7,157 21.5%
United Parcel Service 0 2,700 N/A
US Airways 1,919 7,554 25.4%
TOTAL 7,952 65,609 12.1%
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 20 336 5.5%
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 136 950 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 91 235 38.7%
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 371 27,206 1.4%
Total Jet Operators 133 2,453 5.4%
Total Non-Jet Operators 2 3,108 .06%
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 8,458 115,033 7.4%
Notes:
  • TBD = To be determined

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

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