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Major Airline Pilot Hiring Outpacing Previous Year by 40%

Jacksonville Beach, FL — September 2, 2026

Major airline pilot hiring is on the rise for ATP Flight School graduates, with 2026 hiring outpacing 2025 by nearly 40%.1 Leading the hiring has been American Airlines, with ATP placing over 110 graduates with the airline year-to-date. In total, 1,170 graduates have been hired by regional and major airlines in the last 12 months.

Chandler Augsburger, American Airlines First Officer
ATP Alumni and American Airlines First Officer Chandler Augsburger

Early bullish hiring projections for 2026 have held, and that pace isn't expected to slow. Major airlines have projected their 2027 hiring to be equally strong for professional pilots.2

As major airlines continue hiring at this pace, they're pulling experienced pilots from the regional airlines, who have responded with increasing class sizes.3 Leading graduate hiring at the regionals is SkyWest Airlines, with 119 graduates hired in 2026.

Regional airlines are hiring largely from their cadet programs.4 ATP graduates get the competitive edge in this hiring wave, with access to every regional airline cadet program and airline-backed Career Tracks™ that provide graduates with structured career progression to American, Delta, and United.

"2026 has been a strong year of hiring for ATP graduates, and all signs point to an even stronger year in 2027," said Michael Arnold, Vice President of Marketing, ATP Flight School." Students training at ATP today will be well positioned to establish their careers and quickly start gaining seniority through one of ATP's 38 airline-backed Career Tracks™. And with the introduction of the Career Track Discovery Program, aspiring pilots now have a low-cost, low-commitment way to get started exploring the career and catching this hiring wave."

2026 has been a strong year of hiring for ATP graduates, and all signs point to an even stronger year in 2027…

Michael Arnold

Vice President of Marketing, ATP Flight School

Aspiring pilots can get started and explore ATP's Career Tracks™ with the Career Track Discovery Program. For just $4,995, students complete the first four weeks and 23 hours of ATP's Airline Career Pilot Program, without the commitment of a full career program. Learn more at ATPFlightSchool.com/discovery.

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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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  • 1 Internal placement data for all ATP graduates placed with legacy, major, and national airlines in January through August, year-over-year.
  • 2 Based on major airline industry briefings presented at the 2026 OBAP Conference.
  • 3 Aero Crew Solutions, “Delta’s Reliability Issues Fuel Pilot Hiring,” From the Interview Table, email newsletter, July 2026, subject line “Delta Reliability Issues Fuel Pilot Hiring.”
  • 4 Aero Crew Solutions, “2026 Pilot Hiring Outlook,” From the Interview Table, email newsletter, January 2026, subject line “Is It Okay To Post Your Paycheck Online?”
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