Tag: Commercial Aviation

Airlines Experiencing Pilot Shortage

Bloomberg reported that US airlines are experiencing an ongoing pilot shortage, “but a purging of employees at the start of the downturn in 2020 has left the industry ill-prepared for a rebound.” American Airlines CEO Robert Ison said, “We don’t have the regional aircraft flying the summer right now [that] we would like.” Ison added, “This is a fantastic opportunity for people that want to come in and fly planes. They can make a lot of money.” United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said on an earnings call last week, “The pilot shortage for the industry is real and most airlines are simply not going to be able to realize their capacity plans because there simply aren’t enough pilots, at least not for the next five-plus years.” As a result, United likely will not operate 150 regional jets due to a lack of pilots, even though there is demand for flights. Bloomberg said airlines have “scaled back plans for a rapid resumption of pre-pandemic flight schedules,” with United planning to operate 13% fewer flights in the second quarter than in the same quarter in 2019. Likewise, Delta Air Lines plans to operate 16% fewer flights, and American Airlines 8% fewer flights, mostly due to a lack of pilots at regional airlines. Bloomberg added that both American and United are working with Landline Co. to offer bus service between regional airports and larger airports.
Full Story (Bloomberg)

Cape Air Agrees to Purchase 75 Alice Electric Aircraft

Aviation International News reports that Cape Air “has signed a letter of intent with Eviation Aircraft covering the purchase of 75 all-electric Alice commuter aircraft.” The contract signing “comes nine months after Cape Air chairman Dan Wolf told a gathering at the Vertical Flight Society’s Electric Aircraft Symposium that the Alice could enter service with his airline as early as 2023 on scheduled routes connecting Boston and the Massachusetts communities of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket as well as linking Nantucket with Hyannis.”
Full Story (Aviation International News)

Alaska Airlines Faces Acute Pilot Shortage

The Miami Herald reports that the omicron variant surge and December snowstorm have caused critical delays to Alaska Airline’s new pilot training program. The Air Line Pilots Association union had warned Alaska Airlines management for some time that a pilot shortage was coming.
Full Story (Miami Herald)

Commercial Aviation Faces Pilot Shortage

The Dallas Morning News reports that regional airlines are already feeling the effect of the “long-foretold” pilot shortage, as SkyWest Airlines “cited a shortage of pilots while petitioning the government to drop service to 29 cities.” The Morning News adds that the pilot shortage “may hinder a travel industry that’s already struggling to emerge from two years of pandemic pain,” as Oliver Wyman expects a shortage of 19,000 pilots across the world by the end of the year. The Morning News explains that regional airlines “will get hit the hardest because the country’s mainline carriers, including American, Southwest, United and Delta, pay much better than regional airlines and usually treat those smaller companies as farm teams to fill their big-league rosters of pilots.” United and Delta are also mentioned as having “cadet programs” aimed at bolstering their pilot figures.
Full Story (Dallas Morning News)

TUI Makes Inaugural Flight from United Kingdom

Florida Today reports that a TUI Airways Boeing 787 Dreamliner made the first transatlantic flight from Manchester, United Kingdom, to Melbourne Orlando International Airport (MLB) on March 22. The aircraft “brought TUI’s first batch of European holiday passengers from Manchester, England, to the Space Coast. Long anticipated by Brevard County officials, the vacation-package company is projected to fly in 135,000 tourists this year from seven cities in the U.K.” Each “TUI flight will carry 300 to 345 passengers from the U.K. to Melbourne. Airport officials expect 11 flights per week through May 1, when flights will increase to 16 per week.”
Full Story (Florida Today)

International Sanctions Threaten MC-21 Jetliner Program

Fortune reports that international sanctions threaten the rollout of Irkut Corp.’s MC-21 jetliner, “due to commence deliveries to Russian airlines this year.” The MC-21 “is the first full-size aircraft designed in Russia since the fall of the Soviet Union more than three decades ago” and features composite wings and a passenger capacity of 211 people. The MC-21 sources avionics, brakes, tires, and its Pratt & Whitney engines from international suppliers, though a version using a Russian produced engine was flown at the Dubai Air Show last November.
Full Story (Fortune)

Boeing Received More Orders in 2021 than Airbus

Reuters reports that The Boeing Company “bounced back to win the traditional annual order race against Airbus SE (AIR.PA) on an adjusted basis, but its European rival remained the world’s largest planemaker based on the number of jets delivered, data showed on Tuesday.” Shares in Boeing “rose around 2% after the closely watched data showed it ended 2021 with 535 net orders after cancellations and conversions that were partially offset by regular accounting adjustments. Gross orders were 909.”
Full Story (Reuters)