After a sharp post-pandemic slowdown that left many junior pilots struggling to land airline jobs, new data from flight training providers, pilot recruiting firms, and industry groups point to a renewed hiring cycle gaining momentum heading into 2026.
Pilot hiring surged during and immediately after the COVID-19 recovery, then fell back in 2024 and early 2025 as airlines worked through an imbalance in their cockpits. Carriers hired large numbers of first officers during the post-pandemic boom but still faced shortages of captains, forcing airlines to slow external hiring while upgrading pilots internally and managing aircraft delivery delays.
That transition period now appears to be ending. Data released by ATP, one of the largest US flight schools, shows that airline hiring accelerated late in 2025, particularly at major and legacy carriers. ATP said its graduates saw increased placement activity as hiring regained momentum in the fourth quarter, a period that often signals how the following year will shape up.
Hiring picks up at US majors
ATP reported that pilot hiring at major and legacy airlines rose 17% in 2025 compared with the prior year. The flight school said normalization earlier in the year gave way to stronger demand as carriers expanded training capacity and restarted new-hire classes.
That trend aligns with hiring data tracked by Aero Crew Solutions, which reported that American Airlines and United Airlines ramped hiring to maximum capacity late in 2025. According to the firm, both airlines ran weekly new-hire classes totaling more than 500 pilots per month combined, levels expected to continue into 2026 as demand builds.
Aero Crew Solutions said the hiring wave at the majors creates downstream movement throughout the industry. When a major airline hires a regional captain, the regional airline must upgrade another pilot, which then opens first officer positions. While regional hiring remained uneven in 2025, the firm said that pattern should improve as captain upgrades work their way through the system.
Airline representatives speaking at recent industry events echoed that outlook. ATP cited statements from American, United, and Delta showing strong hiring plans for 2026, including approximately 1,500 pilots at American, near-record hiring approaching 2,500 pilots at United, and continued near-term hiring at Delta.
Mandatory retirements remain a major driver behind those numbers. According to estimates compiled by the National Air Carrier Association, more than 16,000 US airline pilots are expected to retire over the next five years. NACA’s modeling projects a cumulative shortfall of more than 28,000 pilots by 2030 under current assumptions, driven largely by retirements, training lag, and long-term growth.
While the term “pilot shortage” is hotly debated within the industry, long-term demand indicators remain strong. Boeing, in its latest Pilot and Technician Outlook, forecast that global commercial aviation will require about 660,000 new pilots over the next 20 years as airlines expand fleets and replace retiring crews.
Boeing said global air travel demand continues to outpace economic growth, making effective training and a steady supply of qualified personnel essential to maintaining airline operations. The forecast reflects fleet growth, aircraft replacement, utilization rates, and regional staffing needs across commercial aviation.
Hiring not confined to US
Outside the United States, pilot hiring activity also points to sustained demand heading into 2026. Global airlines continue to recruit at a steady pace as international travel rebounds and long-term staffing pressures build.
Training specialist CAE has warned that airlines in Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East face ongoing challenges rebuilding pilot ranks thinned during the pandemic. Large international carriers, particularly in the Middle East and Asia, have continued recruiting experienced captains and first officers, underscoring that pilot demand is not confined to the US market but part of a broader global reset now moving into its next phase.
Taken together, the data points to a market that has shifted out of the post-COVID hiring surge and into a more measured but still active phase. Airlines are no longer hiring at emergency levels, but they are hiring consistently, with clear signals that demand for new pilots is rebuilding rather than contracting.