SkyWest Airplane Flying

ATP Flight School Drives SkyWest Cadet Program Growth Amid Regional Airline Hiring Demand

Salt Lake City, UT — February 10, 2026

ATP Flight School led SkyWest Airlines cadet enrollments in January, with 56 cadets joining the SkyWest Pilot Pathway Program.

At ATP Flight School, students have access to every regional airline cadet program. Among those hiring agreements, ATP is an Elite flight school partner in the SkyWest Pilot Pathway Program, which provides a structured, defined career progression toward an airline pilot career at major airlines. Students are eligible to join the program as soon as they commence training and receive mentorship, elevated seniority, and Elite pathway benefits while continuing to gain flight experience. After reaching airline pilot minimums of 1,500 hours, cadets can directly transition to SkyWest and begin flying as a First Officer.

ATP’s proven track record of developing professional, safe, airline-ready pilots has made ATP the number one flight school chosen by airlines, bringing graduates exclusive career opportunities like the Pilot Pathway Program.

Michael Arnold

ATP Vice President of Marketing

“As an Elite partner, SkyWest is a top career destination for ATP graduates,” said Michael Arnold, Vice President of Marketing for ATP Flight School. “ATP’s proven track record of developing professional, safe, airline-ready pilots has made ATP the number one flight school chosen by airlines, bringing graduates exclusive career opportunities like the Pilot Pathway Program.”

Fiona Morrison - Delta Air Lines Pilot
Former SkyWest Airlines pilot and ATP graduate, Fiona Morrison, now flying for Delta Air Lines.

As hiring demand accelerates, major airlines are hiring aggressively from regional airlines, creating a vacuum for qualified pilots entering the job market. As reported by Aero Crew Solutions, regional airlines are hiring almost exclusively from their established cadet programs. This underscores the importance for aspiring airline pilots to select a school with the capability and resources to deliver airline-oriented training, supported by established hiring partnerships.

The SkyWest Pilot Pathway Program is one of 39 airline hiring partnerships ATP offers students, and ATP is the only flight school with formal agreements in place with all three major airlines – American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines.

ATP Flight School is the number one flight school in Utah chosen by aspiring airline pilots, with 428 active Airline Career Pilot Program students hailing from the state. To learn more and discover how ATP’s proven partnerships have helped place over 1,000 graduates at airlines in the last 12 months, visit ATPFlightSchool.com.

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About ATP Flight School Training Pilots Since 1984

ATP's Airline Career Pilot Program prepares pilots for airline careers from zero time to 1,500 hours, with CFI jobs and airline employment. Addressing the pilot shortage, airlines attract new pilots to the industry with ATP's Tuition Reimbursement Program, where airlines sponsor a portion of pilots' flight training loan repayment. ATP also provides type-rating and ATP CTP certification. ATP's 658 aircraft fly over 600,000 hours each year to provide over 13,700 FAA pilot certificates and ratings. As America's largest flight school, ATP is the leading supplier of professionally trained pilots to the nation's regional airlines.

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