In the middle of a major shortage of pilots that affects millions of passengers, the Federal Aviation Administration has rejected a proposal to cut in half the number of hours required to become a co-pilot.
In April, Republic Airways filed a petition with the FAA to have its pilot school be treated on the same basis as military aviation training. Those who were former military pilots can get qualified to co-pilot commercial jets with 750 hours of experience, while under the current FAA regulations, in effect since 2013, civilians must have 1,500 hours. Republic, under its subsidiary Leadership In Flight Training Academy, trains pilots for several major airlines. It’s the first airline-owned flight academy.
The rule that now prevents people from being able to co-pilot impacts regional airlines the most, and has led to an overall acute shortage of pilots in the pipeline to fly the larger jets as well. As a result, airlines like Alaska Airlines have reduced the number of routes they fly.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics says the U.S. airline industry needs to hire 14,500 new pilots each year until 2030. Only 5,000-7,500 new pilots are coming into the pipeline annually.
Republic played the “diversity card” in its petition to the FAA, stating that the 1,500 hours that are required are creating barriers for minorities, and that “the industry has not been successful in opening opportunities for diverse students, which requires a renewed industry-wide commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.” The industry has made “little progress in reaching minority industry participants via the existing avenues.”
The U.S. military is also having a hard time retaining pilots as some pilots leave for commercial service. Total Air Force, including Active, Guard, and Reserve, was short 1,650 pilots in 2021.
