FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 12, 2009
Contact: Kit Darby, ext. 103
Corey Mobley, ext. 170

Airline Pilot Hiring
December 2008 Summary

The airline pilot hiring total’s are in for 2008 and the numbers are less than half of what they were this time a year ago – 6,479 compared to 13,157 in 2007. However there were a lot of factors driving 2008’s low hiring numbers – the softening economy, the credit crunch, the housing crisis, and the ever increasing fuel prices to name a few. The National airlines held the lead in hiring adding 2,601 new crewmembers, followed by the majors carriers with 2,601, Non-Jet Operators with 900, Jet Operators with 539, Fractionals with 395, and Crew Leasing, Foreign, Training, Start-up, and Very Light Jet categories added 728 new pilots to their flight decks. Of the 92,348 pilots employed industry wide, 4,494 are currently furloughed, an increase of 1,400 from this time last year. AIR, Inc predicts 5,000 new airline pilot jobs for 2009.

Forty-eight out of 175 (27%) of the airlines that report to AIR, Inc. are still hiring pilots. No major airline was interviewing or hiring in October. Two national airlines, four jet operators and 16 non-jet carriers are still hiring. The crew leasing and foreign sectors are still adding crewmembers to their flight decks monthly.

With FedEx expected to report a huge drop in profits analysts say the package-shipping giant will be forced to cut jobs, retire jets and scale back expansion plans. FedEx announced that they will be retiring all (14) DC10s, parking all (66) A310s and replacing (85) B727s with B757s. They also stated that they are overstaffed by 700 pilots and will be cutting flight hours to avoid furloughs.

It has been a busy month for the Airline Pilots Association (ALPA). Colgan, formerly a non-union carrier with approximately 430 pilots, has voted in favor of ALPA representation. Air Tran and their former pilot union, National Pilots Association, have voted in favor of merging with ALPA. Unfortunately, ALPA will be loosing two members: Polar (230 staff pilots) and Atlas (650 pilots). They have voted in favor of IBT (International Brotherhood of Teamsters) representation. Finally, Mesa's pilots ratified their pilot contract, which did not include concessions.

Delta Air Lines (DAL) has outlined plans to increase efficiency by shifting aircraft to better match demand on specific routes. Following its acquisition of Northwest Airlines, DAL plans to revamp its network with a broad mix of aircraft. An internal memo said the company planned to “deploy our largest aircraft to match customer demand between our hubs and highest density routes, while smaller aircraft will right-size markets where we currently have more lift than required.”

DAL President Ed Bastian predicted “an unprecedented level of decline in the amount of airline industry revenue” next year but asserted that his carrier, at least, will be “solidly profitable in 2009.” To ensure profitability, the company plans to offer early retirements beginning next month, but no furloughs are currently planned, he said.

 Source: AIR, Inc.  Atlanta, GA  • www.jet-jobs.com • 800-JET-JOBS

FURLOUGHS AS OF January 12, 2008
Airline Number on Furlough Number Laid-Off Number Active Percent Furloughed Percent Laid-Off
Majors
Airborne Express
17
0
657
2.6%
N/A
AirTran Airways
167
0
1,641
10.2%
N/A
Alaska Airlines
0
0
1,500
N/A
N/A
American Airlines
1,969
0
8,379
23.4%
N/A
ASTAR Air Cargo
0
0
525
N/A
N/A
Continental Airlines
148
0
5,070
2.9%
N/A
Delta Air Lines
0
0
6,500
N/A
N/A
FedEx
0
0
4,780
N/A
N/A
Frontier Airlines
61
0
718
8.5%
N/A
JetBlue
0
0
1,975
N/A
N/A
Northwest Airlines
0
0
5,105
N/A
N/A
Southwest Airlines
0
0
5,692
N/A
N/A
United Airlines
222
0
6,400
3.5%
N/A
United Parcel Service
0
0
2,932
N/A
N/A
US Airways
148
0
5,238
2.8%
N/A
TOTAL
2,732
0
57,112
4.8%
N/A
Airline Number on Furlough Number Laid-Off Number Active Percent Furloughed Percent Laid-Off
Nationals
Air Transport International
0
0
275
N/A
N/A
Air Wisconsin
61
0
817
7.5%
N/A
AirNet Express
0
0
160
N/A
N/A
Allegiant Air
0
0
242
N/A
N/A
*Aloha Airline
0
273
0
N/A
100%
American Eagle
0
0
3,000
N/A
N/A
Amerijet Int’l
5
0
71
7%
N/A
*ATA
0
315
0
N/A
100%
Atlantic Southeast
0
0
1,584
N/A
N/A
Atlas Air
18
0
650
2.8%
N/A
*Champion Air
0
130
0
N/A
100%
Comair
202
0
1,385
14.6%
N/A
Evergreen Int’l Airlines
0
0
245
N/A
N/A
ExpresssJet
347
0
2,600
13.3%
N/A
Florida West Int'l Airways
0
0
12
N/A
N/A
*Gemini Air Cargo
0
246
0
N/A
100%
Hawaiian Airlines
0
0
324
N/A
N/A
Horizon Air
38
0
725
5.2%
N/A
Kalitta Air
23
0
330
7%
N/A
Mesa Airlines
67
0
1,542
4.3%
N/A
Mesaba Airlines
0
0
1,052
N/A
N/A
Miami Air Int'l
0
0
95
N/A
N/A
Midwest Express Airlines
260
0
375
69.3%
N/A
North American Airlines
0
0
194
N/A
N/A
Omni Air Int'l
0
0
245
N/A
N/A
Pinnacle Airlines
0
0
1,400
N/A
N/A
Polar Air Cargo
49
51 (PFE's)
230
21.3%
17%
Republic Airways
135
0
1,800
7.5%
N/A
Ryan Int'l Airlines
60
0
135
44.4%
N/A
SkyWest Airlines
0
0
2,854
N/A
N/A
Spirit Airlines
135
0
356
37.2%
N/A
Sun Country Airlines
0
0
100
N/A
N/A
Trans States Airlines
76
0
652
11.7%
N/A
US Airways/Piedmont
0
0
515
N/A
N/A
US Airways/PSA
80
0
359
22.3%
N/A
USA 3000
0
0
152
N/A
N/A
USA Jet Airlines
36
0
75
48%
N/A
World Airways
0
0
425
N/A
N/A
TOTAL
1,592
1,015
25,166
6.3%
4%
Total Jet Operators
29
565
2,345
1.2%
24.1%
Total Non-Jet Operators
37
250
2,664
1.4%
9.4%
Total Fractionals
104
0
4,548
2.3%
N/A
Total Crew Leasing/Foreign/Training
0
0
N/A
N/A
N/A
Total Training and Very Light Jets
0
85
490
N/A
17.3%
Total Startups
0
0
13
N/A
N/A
AIRLINE TOTAL
4,494
1,915
92,348
4.9%
2.1%
Notes: * Carrier Ceased Operations

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

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