It is a lot for Alaska Air but when compared to the 28,000 or so unemployed or underemployed pilots that are out there at any given time it isn't all that much. In order to see some real movement at the majors they all need to be hiring so that nationwide there is perhaps 5-7000 pilots hired.

Let's not forget that Alaska Air plans to hire that number over the next four years and this is after 4 years of near nil hiring. When you average all that out over the years it really dosen't amount to much.

Skyhigh