American Airlines Flight 718, the first American Boeing 737 MAX commercial flight since regulators lifted a 20-year basis in November, will take off from December 29, 2020 from Miami, Florida.
Marco Bello | Reuters
American Airlines plans to resume hiring pilots again this weekend, the airline told pilots on Tuesday, as a surge in demand prompted airlines to reconsider their future staff.
The pandemic derailed the leasing plans of airlines in March last year as airlines scrambled to reduce their number of people to save costs when travel demand fell. American said last week that it plans to fly more than 90% of its domestic schedule for 2019 this summer.
Bookings have since recovered, led by holidaymakers flying in the US, airlines recently reported.
United Airlines also plans to start hiring pilots again next month, while the low-cost airline Spirit Airlines began training for new pilots in March. JetBlue Airways also plans to hire pilots later this year.
Americans plan to hire 300 new pilots by the end of the year and plan to double that number by 2022, said Chip Long, U.S. vice president of aviation operations, in a staff letter viewed by CNBC.
The Fort Worth airline has about 15,000 pilots, though it has taken hundreds of early pensions or would stop flying in the coming years as they turn 65, the federal retirement age for pilots.
International demand for business and long-term remains weak as travel restrictions persist and major network services continue to lose money. United reported a $ 1.4 billion loss in the first quarter on Monday, while Delta Air Lines last week said it lost nearly $ 1.2 billion in the first three months of the year.
American will set its demand and rental outlook when it reports quarterly results on Thursday before the market opens.