Airline Pilot Hiring in 2026: How Many Pilots the Majors Have Hired (Data)

Pilot hiring by year

FAPA tracks new-hire pilots at the U.S. major passenger and cargo airlines. Its counts show the post-pandemic spike, then a return to a steadier pace (FAPA pilot hiring history):

• 2022: 13,357 and 2023: 12,196, the two biggest years in FAPA's records back to 2000
• 2024: 4,834 and 2025: 4,509
• 2026, January–August: 4,511, already above all of 2025 with four months still to report

ALPA's economists note that 2024–2025 hiring is "more in line with the 2016–2019 period when major air carriers averaged approximately 4,600 new hires a year" (ALPA (Oct 13, 2026)). FAPA counts some pilots twice when they move from one major to another and estimates that double counting at no more than 15%.

Who is hiring the most pilots in 2026

Through August, Delta led with 1,307 hires, then American (1,149), Southwest (878) and United (795). Frontier hired 231 and Alaska 90. Allegiant, JetBlue and UPS reported zero (FAPA pilot hiring history). By month, hiring peaked at 827 in March, dipped to 306 in May and rebounded to 648 in August.

ALPA reports that in the 12 months ending July 2026, the largest carriers hired 3,863 pilots, a 74% increase over the 2,215 hired in the same period a year earlier, led by Delta, American and Southwest. United is hiring at a lower rate than in 2025 but has hired more pilots than any other carrier since 2022 (ALPA (Oct 13, 2026)).

Retirements will keep hiring going

FAPA estimates 42,000 major-airline pilot retirements over the next 15 years, about 2,800 a year, with the Baby Boomer generation retired by the end of 2029 and annual retirements averaging above 3,000 in 2028–2031 (ALPA (Oct 13, 2026)). Boeing's 2026 Commercial Market Outlook forecasts that North America will need 122,000 new pilots over 20 years, about 6,100 a year (as summarized by ALPA (Oct 13, 2026)).

The pilot pipeline is growing too

• U.S. carriers employed 105,244 pilots in 2025, the most ever recorded, up 1.5% from 2024 (Bureau of Transportation Statistics, via ALPA (Oct 13, 2026))
• The FAA counted 126,900 active ATP multiengine certificate holders with a first-class medical in 2025, up 1.9%. An average of 8,521 new ATP-MEL certificates were issued each year from 2021 to 2025.
• Flight instructors with a valid medical rose from 82,469 in July 2021 to 107,155 in July 2026, up 30%.

More qualified applicants means more competition for each class date, even while hiring rises. AOPA also notes that experienced pilots displaced from Spirit Airlines have entered the applicant pool (AOPA).

Not every pilot group is seeing raises

On Oct 14, 2026, about 650 Horizon Air pilots, represented by Teamsters Local 1224, held an informational picket at Seattle-Tacoma airport. The union says they've gone three years without a raise and nearly four years negotiating a new contract (FOX 13 Seattle).

For helicopter pilots eyeing the airlines

Some regionals recruit rotor pilots directly. CommuteAir's Rotor Transition Program accepts military helicopter pilots with 500 hours total time and civilian helicopter pilots with 1,250 hours (plus 100 cross-country, 75 night and 75 instrument), with no fixed-wing or multi-engine time required to start (CommuteAir Rotor Transition Program). CommuteAir lists first officer starting pay at $79.57/hr with a $20,000 bonus (CommuteAir pilot careers). For pay comparisons, see regional first officer pay and airline pilot pay.