Delta to hire 1,000 pilots as COVID recovery continues

Delta Air Lines Inc. aims to hire over 1,000 pilots by next summer to help the airline rebound from the pandemic’s havoc and expand its route network.

Domestic international travel will return to pre-pandemic levels this month, according to a memo sent to Delta flight-operations personnel on Monday by John Laughter, the company’s operations chief. He predicted that travel restrictions across the Atlantic will lessen in the second half of the year, citing recent market openings in Spain, France, Italy, and Greece.

At the end of last year, Delta had 12,940 pilots, excluding those employed by a fully owned regional airline. The new hires would bring the total number of pilots at the airline’s operating activities up by around 8%.

In recent weeks, American airlines have increased aircraft capacity to accommodate customers who are booking long-awaited vacations and family reunions. During the peak of the pandemic last year, around 20% of Delta employees chose early retirement or departed willingly, while more than half took unpaid breaks of varied periods.

“This is all good news, but we should keep in mind that while our leisure customers are coming back, our fares aren’t back at the same level,” Laughter said. Delta has said it expects to report a profit for the month of June.

After a faster-than-expected rush to fly caused crew shortages, American Airlines Group Inc. cancelled 950 flights scheduled for the first two weeks of July. Poor weather at three of the carrier’s hubs exacerbated the pilot shortage, so 775 flights were cancelled throughout the weekend and into Monday.

Delta will begin training for pilots who obtained job offers before the coronavirus destroyed travel demand this week. The airline, operating in Atlanta, also announced the hiring of 13 crew schedulers and a supervisor.

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