Originally Posted by
GoldenDoor
With relatively short upgrade times at legacy airlines, what is the real answer to this question?
Helane Becker -- Analyst
Thanks operator. Hi, team. Thank you very much for the time of course. Two questions. One on -- as you think about the growth in the fleet, so if you I guess I think 10 crews per -- 5 crews per aircraft, 10 pilots per plan. And I'm wondering if you're thinking about, as you hire these 1,000 more pilots plus whatever you need to hire for reserves, how do you compete with the other airlines that are in the process of replacing retired pilots who have a higher starting pay. I mean -- are you -- and your contract doesn't come up until 2023. So how are you contemplating attracting people to your brand
It’s an investor call, and the last thing they want to say to a bunch of share holders after a rough six months of battered stock price is: “Hey you know those really expensive and whiny plane drivers we negotiate with every few years? Well pretty soon we may have to throw more money at them just to even get them to show up for an interview!” It was a pivot.
Upgrades continue to flow with this recent hiring wave, and growth alone should see anyone on property through 2020 upgrade based on planned deliveries.
As to when they do, the 2 year timeline, (slipping to 3 years now in jumpseat conversations) is a moving target. Two years ago at 1500 pilots is a different experience than someone today at 2500, or someone two years from now at 3500.
We may very well become a 500-700 plane airline, but unless the delivery rate increases, the upgrade time will get longer. This punches holes in the theory that 2-3 year upgrades will attract pilots over the next decade.