UA purchasing part of XJT. The. Awarding GoJet 50 aircraft is proof enough that contract airlines will be around for a long time...

SkyWest is up to almost 5000 pilots, correct? I know that at least 2500 of those pilots were hired in the last 4-5 years. All of which want to move on. In 2021 and beyond major retirements crest over 2500 a year combined and a few years with over 3000. Now even if only 20% of those pilot come from SkyWest in the next 5 years that is half of the current seniority list. Again who knows what will happen, but we have never seen numbers like this in the industry. I’m telling you, in 5 years regional management will not know what to do if these projections hold true. But... I have been called crazy before. I will say SkyWest may be one of the last ones standing, but it won’t be the juggernaut it is today

GoJet is literally begging for street CA’s and the majors just started the upwards trend in retirements. You’re telling me a few vacuum years from the majors and they will be around still? I like Modelo Negra, with a lime 😜

Maybe I’m just a glass half full guy but it won’t hurt my feelings to see all regionals flounder in the next decade due to staffing issues. Including the one I’m at. Regionals shouldn’t have gotten this big anyway, all the 175’s fly a majority of routes that mainline carriers fly during peak times. That’s what we regional pilots are now, fill ins for long thin routes so management can test the waters cheap, on the backs of hard working guys and gals making a 1/3 of the pay.

Edit : Please don’t take that as me not caring about the senior regional pilots, because I do. In fact I care so much I hate the fact that right now people are topped out at 1/3 the rate of other pilots flying the same routes, in and out of the same airports providing a “streamline” experience for the passengers

Hiring between 120 and 140/month. I'm not sure how long they can sustain that but I never thought we'd attain the kind of growth we have in the 5 years I've been here. They haven't even started using the signing bonuses we handed them in the last pay agreement. I think they will continue to surprise everyone. I think most of us would love to see more jobs move to mainline but the greed at the top in undeniable.