Originally Posted by
Stayontarget
I’m not a huge fan of rumors but the latest one I hear is only about 500 qualified applicants on file. Assuming half pass the interview and then about half again stick around things could get messy real quick.
But this brings up something maybe somebody else in the know can expand upon. ALPAs position that the industry isn’t short on pilots. I’m having trouble seeing any benefit to the pilot group with that official position. If we aren’t short on pilots than the leverage to get a contract soon isn’t as great. It’s also not exactly what we have been seeing across the regionals with their severe staffing issues. But I have read somewhere that we are on track to have more ATPs this year than we ever have. Interesting times.
ALPA wants the airlines to shoulder all of the blame for the hiring environment. They have a good point regarding the airlines' mismanagement of covid relief funds, paying pilots to leave, restriction of their training capacity, etc. But I think ALPA loses credibility with this "no shortage" argument based purely on ATP issuances.
Every airline has lowered their standards to meet their hiring needs, in terms of experience or college degrees, etc and yet the regionals will probably be the first to be unable to staff their flying. ALPA over here saying there is no shortage when literally everyone else is like yeah obviously there's a shortage. The record # of ATPs I think is just pushing through the backlog of covid pilots who were delayed.
I asked an ALPA rep about this and he said their stance is not likely to change. Must be too far entrenched with that stance to change it now lol