United Airlines' flight school is celebrating its first graduating class. The academy is part of the airline's long-term strategy addressing the industry's pilot shortage.
- According to CBS News, due to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions and the subsequent increase in travel demand, airlines hired nearly 50,000 employees last year. But the industry is struggling to find enough qualified pilots.
- The pilot shortage has prompted United Airlines to take a new approach and organize its own training program for aspiring pilots.
- By some estimates, airlines worldwide could be 60,000 pilots short by the end of the decade. United Airlines anticipates that major U.S. carriers will have demand for 10,000 new pilots this year alone, but that only about 6,600 qualified candidates will be available.