ATP Flight School Highlights Pilot Hiring Trends in 2024
Jacksonville, FL — January 14, 2025
ATP Flight School marked another year of success in 2024, placing 891 graduates with regional and major airlines, as well as corporate operators. As hiring stabilized from the record highs of the post-COVID rebound, demand for ATP-trained pilots underscored the industry’s continued reliance on qualified professionals.
Career Progression
ATP Flight School instructors reaching 1,500 hours in 2024 continued to secure placements at regional airlines each month, benefiting from ATP’s extensive hiring partnerships and career resources.
- Average Time to Placement: ATP instructors averaged just over three years from the start of flight training to their first regional airline job.
- Regional Placements: SkyWest Airlines hired the most ATP graduates, with instructors eligible for $17,500 in tuition reimbursement through an ATP-exclusive partnership.
- Major Airlines: Frontier Airlines hired the most ATP graduates among major carriers, showcasing the success of the Frontier Airlines Pilot Cadet Program, which transitions instructors to First Officers at 1,500 hours after completing an intensive jet transition program at ATP JETS.
- Airline Partnerships: Total participation in cadet, tuition reimbursement, and airline pathway programs, including Delta Propel and United Aviate, grew 10% year-over-year. During 2024, ATP announced a new entry point into the Delta Propel Pilot Program. Through the CFI Pathway, ATP flight instructors can apply for a Qualified Job Offer (QJO) with Delta without needing prior affiliation with the airline.
All legacy airlines hired ATP graduates in 2024, with the majority joining United Airlines, followed by Delta Air Lines and American Airlines. Hiring activity at American Airlines' wholly-owned carriers increased toward the end of the year, creating optimism for continued hiring momentum in 2025.
Future Outlook
The demand for airline pilots remains strong, driven by over 17,000 mandatory retirements projected through the end of the decade. In 2025, nearly 2,000 mandatory retirements are expected at legacy airlines. The global backlog of aircraft needing crews is anticipated to also be a significant factor, with 2025 deliveries forecast to rise to 1,802 aircraft (according to IATA). This growth underscores the critical need for qualified flight crews.
Retirement data compiled from 2024 airline industry briefings.
“ATP continues to work with hiring partners to provide turn-key hiring solutions to fill their pilot hiring pipelines ahead of continued growth in demand,” said Michael Arnold, Vice President of Marketing, ATP Flight School. “ATP graduates remain well-positioned to capitalize on the best competitive offers and face excellent career prospects with multiple pathways to every major airline.”
ATP continues to work with hiring partners to provide turn-key hiring solutions to fill their pilot hiring pipelines ahead of continued growth in demand…
ATP expects 2025 to follow the upward hiring trend, as retirements and fleet growth sustain demand for new pilots.
Forward-looking statements in this press release involve a number of preconditions, uncertainties, and other factors that could cause actual or implied results to differ materially. All trademarks, trade names, service marks, product names, company names, logos, and brands used or mentioned herein are property of their respective owners in the United States and other countries. Mention of them does not imply any affiliation with or endorsement by them. 14 CFR part 142 programs provided by ATP Jet Simulation, Inc.
