Originally Posted by
BlueScholar
When I was at Indoc in the spring they said the goal is closer to 25,000. Now that's a goal so it's probably pie in the sky, and who knows what the economy will look like in a few years but the goal is 2,000 new hires a year for the next few years and probably ramping up even more when the new sim building is completed. Either way it's clear seniority movement is gonna be much better here for the next several years and it won't get close unless the economy crashes, or until the younger SWA demographic hits the mandatory retirement bar in what, 7 or 8 years?
I've had buddies go through Indoc at United, Delta and SWA. One of them had a lot of empty seats and a noticeable number of new hires bail while still in training, and it wasn't Delta or United. Everyone's situation is different and there's a lot of variables, but people are voting with their feet. I don't have anything against SWA, but that's what I'm advising my buddies in the process of making the leap and that seems to be the consensus I hear from others on and off APC.
The new sim building will be done in December 2023. 12 more sim bays and the 2 new hire classrooms (week 1 and 2) will hold 150 EACH. Kirby asked the director of training if they could hire and train 150 pilots a week. We are hiring 2,600 pilots this year to bring on 100 planes. In 2024-2029 we bring on 130+ new planes each year so you can do your own math as to how many pilots we have to hire. Plus since at least 100 planes coming between 2024 and 2030 are 787s that’s also going to move people up the food chain faster. Anyone hired today could be at 50% on the seniority list in 10 years and sitting in the left seat of a 787 in 12-15 easy. A 2021 hire told me just with retirements and no growth he will be at the seniority to hold 777 CA in 11 years. That’s NO GROWTH and we cancel all our orders. With unfilled 756 CA slots on the west coast and unfilled 737 CA all over the system, it looks like 25,000 is possible by 2028 easy.
I don’t know what’s going on, but Kirby looks like he wants to crush all the other airlines. He even said in a Captain upgrade class that we would be so big in Denver (900 flights a day) that Southwest would probably COMPLETELY LEAVE Denver.
Anyone who is in Denver that wants to be based there and is flying for Southwest might want to think about coming to United. There is ZERO chance United doesn’t grow like crazy in Denver, especially wiht the hundreds of Pilot-Instructors and Evaluators we will have to hire plus the base expansion. If you’re under 45 its a no-brainer. Especially with 1 year upgrades everywhere.
Good luck!