Speaking of numbers not adding up, the 50% number doesn’t apply to general hiring, but to entrance into the Aviate program. And as I understand it, Aviate doesn’t even guarantee a job at United. So depending on how much hiring takes place outside Aviate, and how successful the individual Aviate trainees are, that 50% number could look a lot smaller once we start talking about actual hiring at the airline.

In other words, it’s a pretty nebulous “goal”, and a lot less groundbreaking than it sounds, but 50% is a good number for promotional information & corporate self-congratulations.

I really don’t think this is the “end of safe operations at UAL” crisis that many are making it out to be. I think there are a lot of competent people in our diverse community that are capable of being trained to do this job well, and at the end of the day, United still retains full autonomy to select who ends up flying our planes. Having said that, I am absolutely in agreement that no one should be hired at this airline that does not meet proficiency requirements. I just think it’s possible to address two challenges (i.e., diversity & safety) while still maintaining that one is of greater urgency than the other.