Originally Posted by
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OK I was way off, total between US-E and US-W was around 5000. Maybe West had 1500?
Looks like AA had 8500 active (not furloughed) at time of merger, so combined was 13,500 in Dec 2013. If you believe long term staffing targets of ~16000, we've "grown" 20% over 12 years. And that includes the replacing of a lot of RJs with mainline equipment, something that probably won't continue.
So 1.4%, which is basically what Slice said.
2009 AA/US/AW ASM was 222.5 billion(?). 2025 ASM's was 299.4 billion (?). 34.6% over 16 years. That's a total change of 2.2%, or 1.9% annually.
Just showing that ASM growth, which is what Wall St and the financial people are interested in, is often greater than the pilot corps increase to create the additional ASM's.
Using your 2013 end of year numbers the AA/US ASM was 232.4 billion. 13 years later it's 229.4 billion. 29%, 2.2%, or an annual increase, again, of 1.9%.
It would be interesting to compare it to GDP. Years ago I think ASM growth for the industry was closer to GDP. Then, at least for the legacy airlines, it lagged, and perhaps 66% (2/3's) of GDP was the 'new' normal. With 1.9% AA's ASM growth totaled 29% over the 13 years 2013-2025. U.S. GDP was 30% higher. So the hope to relink legacy growth to GDP seems to be on track??? <amateur public math warning!!