Originally Posted by
prex8390
I'm gonna whip out my crystal ball as is everyone else in this thread but in person opinion, the regional industry will be mostly gone in 4 years, it'll look like it did pre 9/11. It will be there but on a smaller level. I.e gone with the 2 hour routes on 50 seat jets and back to mostly hour tops flights. You might start seeing guys getting hired direct to majors and bypassing regionals altogether. Someone in your shoes, don't be too concerned with the Regionals, it's a dying industry. All this barring another massive terrorist attack or economic downtown like 2008. We shall see.
United and Delta have over 11,000 apps on file. Granted it's the same 11k pilots for the most part. The military is pumping out enough pilots to fill 50% of the slots at the legacies, and they usually don't put out an app more than a year out from when they will be available. That's a constant stream of additional applicants. Plus all of the regional lifers that may start getting displaced and throw their apps I the pile as the regionals get more volatile. Bottom line, there's over 20,000 regional pilots "in line" plus many well-qualified corporate and mil guys competing for 800 jobs per year at each legacy. It's going to take a while. And age 67 of looming in the distance....