This slowdown will continue for the foreseeable future and beyond, maybe forever. There are more supplies of new pilots than number of retiring captains.
A year ago I was hired on the 1900 freighter with 650 hours. Company hired 250 hour FOs. Was eligible for captain upgrade 4-5 months later. Now starting on the 737 with 1100 hours. Some sectors like leisure is slowing, cargo is recovering. Plane delays are temporary, companies are looking for alternatives. 2025 might be slow but 2026 I estimate will be a scramble again. Keep studying, logging any kind of hours and get your ATPL exams written as early as possible. Spend the time to prepare for interviews and sim evals. People are still showing up to airline interviews thinking they can wing it because they have thousands of hours and are getting passed over by less experienced pilots. Good luck!
I'm almost done with my commercial so I obviously want an aggressive hiring market with that said who knows what will actually be going on by the time I actually apply
There is no guarantee on aggressive market. You need a reality check here and expect for the worst to come. Also you’re “almost” done with commercial? Good luck, it’s only uphill from here, including tough checkride scheduling.
Definitely not over. I fly cargo and we lost many FOs that we are still short. We are just slowing down because the majors have slowed down.
This is great to hear!
Cargo is the route I’m planning on taking. My wife is a flight attendant, and the BS she has to put up with people is out of this world.
Let me know the procedure to get into cargo
I'm a newbie pilot with 250hrs holder of frozen ATPL
This slowdown will continue for the foreseeable future and beyond, maybe forever. There are more supplies of new pilots than number of retiring captains.
you flying acmi?
its over, if you’re not flying for a living now, forget it, find something else to do.
A year ago I was hired on the 1900 freighter with 650 hours. Company hired 250 hour FOs. Was eligible for captain upgrade 4-5 months later. Now starting on the 737 with 1100 hours.
Some sectors like leisure is slowing, cargo is recovering.
Plane delays are temporary, companies are looking for alternatives.
2025 might be slow but 2026 I estimate will be a scramble again. Keep studying, logging any kind of hours and get your ATPL exams written as early as possible.
Spend the time to prepare for interviews and sim evals. People are still showing up to airline interviews thinking they can wing it because they have thousands of hours and are getting passed over by less experienced pilots.
Good luck!
Yeah it’s over, it’s going to be a struggle to get that first job. Back to the days of 3000 hrs before you get into a jet☹️
buddy , relax. this is only due to aircraft delivery delays. youll see this year it goes back to normal
@ what we saw for the last two years was abnormal, back to normal will be slow hiring.
any thought of AI would ever replace pilot in the future?
It will someday.
I'm almost done with my commercial so I obviously want an aggressive hiring market with that said who knows what will actually be going on by the time I actually apply
There is no guarantee on aggressive market. You need a reality check here and expect for the worst to come. Also you’re “almost” done with commercial? Good luck, it’s only uphill from here, including tough checkride scheduling.