Delta Throttles Back on Pilot Hiring

Delta Air Lines plans to hire roughly half as many pilots next year as it did in 2023, the latest sign that a more than two-year-long pilot hiring spree is starting to slow.

Major carriers have been hiring pilots at a record clip as they raced to catch up with the rapid rebound in travel demand that followed the Covid-19 pandemic. They hired over 13,000 pilots last year and are on track to bring on nearly as many this year, according to FAPA.aero, a pilot career advisory firm.