Is it raining in ATL? Wait 5 minutes.

 

Oh look, a new account! Welcome to the Delta subforum, Cloud.

I’m sure that newhire felt pretty proud of themself for “trapping" management in front of the whole class during indoc. And anyways, since when did any pilot expect Management to give crystal clear hiring projections, like ever?? If it comes to pass that hiring remains suspended until January 2026, then that's the way it is.

btw, it’s quite ironic that of all the Delta new hires who might endure the misfortune of being indefinitely stuck at the bottom of the seniority list (and then get butthurt about it and call out management during an indoc class) it could very well be a group of Endeavor pilots who for years watched thousands of people pile in above them during Delta's biggest hiring wave in the history while they sat on their haunches waiting for a Mommy Delta to get around to giving them a flow class date. Just an observation =)

 

lol “trapping them.” Yeah, he trapped him into telling them exactly what they’ve been saying all along. Good job.

 

Can’t wait to watch classes start after this Summer

 

Let me just add fuel to the fire. Was given a CJO last month, was told Q3 26 as “what’s currently scheduled”. However they alluded to that very well could be bumped up. They said they dried up the CJO pool by training everyone this year before summer. We were told there is about 100 people or so ahead of us. It’s a guessing game until then. My very uneducated guess is that if things stay the way they are, myself and fellow poolees will get the call Q1 26.

 

Rumors at United saying hiring is about to spike late this year (200 in NOV and DEC) and rumor of 2,500 being hired for 2026 for ~96 aircraft deliveries/577 pilot retirements in 2026.

Delta has 73 aircraft to be delivered and 516 pilot retirements in 2026.

United hires 2,500 and Delta hires, about ~500 (if Q3 2026 holds true) for next year with a 23 aircraft delivery difference and 61 more pilots retiring at United. Also, no A330 deliveries set to be delivered in 2026.

United hiring ~2,000 more pilots doesn’t quite add up comparatively, but I don’t want to underestimate Delta’s ability to shy away from growth in pilots, network, and god forbid, wide bodies.

 

Even Trip has given up on the huge wide body order. It isn’t coming. We are in the business of selling international tickets more so than the business of flying international. First we had to wait until after the contract to get our big order and international growth. Then it was waiting until we repair our domestic market. Now as United operates the largest international route structure ever we still pullback because it was never in the plans. We don’t have the planes coming and will never make a big international move. Every major player in the US is making an international push except Delta. Why fly your own planes when you can pay AeroMexico and Korean Air and Air France to fly them?

 

Curious what the global scope clause in 23’ has actually done, if anything?

 

Maybe because of Global Scope and have to replace the 763.

Im usually a half empty glass kind of a person. But Delta doesn’t do “big airplane announcements”, like United. So, the airplanes will come, eventually. We already have the MRO for the 350 engines, which I think is what they really wanted a couple of years ago. Underpromise (no NH until Q3 2026), over deliver (hiring ramping back after summer for whatever 2026 plans).

Delta is currently tightening our pilot group, I think they believe they can make us fly more with Gs than growing the airline as they should. I also believe next contract negotiations is going to be interesting, as I also think they didn’t knew what they were signing in this PWA.

Also remember RG 2019 summer…they will definitely try again and maybe 2026 will be the year of money.

 

Key word: "currently". The company is hedging. Under-promise and over-deliver...

Barring some future bad event/news, I think hiring will resume later this year, but NLT Q1 26. Retirements and deliveries aren't stopping, both WB and NB.