Regional Jets Dominate US Regional Airline Fleets

The 30- to 50-seat RJs continue to lead the regional airline industry fleet with 1,370 actively flying and another 99 on order.  The next most popular regional aircraft is the 10- to 19-seat turbopropos with 291 in service and one on order.  The 31- to 40 seat turboprop category is next with 263 aircraft in active service.  The larger RJs have recently won significant new orders.  Some 245 51- to 75-seat RJs are now in operation with 155 more on order.  There are 114 orders committed for the  largest RJs (76-99 seats), and 36 currently in active service.

In summary, at this time there are 1,615 regional jets in service in the U.S., 39 in storage and 360 on order, plus 757 turboprop aircraft, according to data provided by BACK Aviation Solutions and Regional Horizons trade journal.   

More Tips on Getting An Airline Job

Did you know that 9,000 pilots were hired to new positions in 2004, according to AIR, Inc?  Job opportunities for pilots are definitely on the rise.

How to get hired? Certainly you need the basic certificates and ratings.  If you can then build your hours by working as a flight instructor, that's a real advantage, so get your CFI and CFII.  Many professional courses will include those ratings as part of their training. Phoenix East Aviation gives priority to its graduates in hiring flight instructors; in fact, PEA has been able to IMMEDIATELY hire any qualified grad who wants to instruct.  You can then build hours toward ATPL requirements -- and earn money and gain experience at the same time. 

If you want to work for a major U.S. airline, it is advised to also get a your Bachelor's Degree, as at this time many airlines require it.  And a shortcut currently to some of the U.S. regional airlines is approximately 600-700 flight hours plus a type rating in the aircraft that airline flies. Of course, requirements differ somewhat by airlines -- and can change over time -- so do your research.  The more you know about the hiring process at those airlines you are applying to, the better your chances of early success.

Sometimes pilots focus on applying to only one or two airlines; you reduce your odds of being hired by doing that.  You should be applying to at least 10 or 12 at any given time, according to Kit Darby, President of AIR, Inc.  And if you know a pilot working for any airline you're applying to, especially one who will vouch for your professionalism, ask him or her to write a letter of recommendation to the airline.  This letter should contain how long he has known you, in what capacity, and attest to your personal integrity as well as your skills as a pilot, if possible.  Some airlines even have a specific form to use for employees to write recommendations.  Use such a form, if it's available.  And it doesn't have to be a senior captain recommending you.  Even if your recommending friend is a new hire (maybe a former instructor of yours at Phoenix East?), he or she has already proven they are the kind of people that airline wants.

   

Airlines Adding International Capacity

There was double-digit growth in the first six months of this year in the international airline market.  British Airways traffic rose 2.7 percent overall, with premium traffic jumping 8.6 percent. Virgin Atlantic Airways business-class travel rose 26 percent. 

U.S. airlines are also responding to strong demand in the industry. Northwest Airlines has introduced flights between Minneapolis and Bangalore, india.  American Airlines has added daily non-stops between Chicago and Delhi. 

The past three years have shown excellent growth for NetJets Europe.  It is about to take delivery of 33 new aircraft this year, increasing its fleet to 91. NOTE: 140 NEW PILOTS ARE BEING HIRED IN 2005-2006 TO MEET THIS INCREASED DEMAND.

And air travel originating in Asian cities is the fastest growing in the world; it is estimated to surpass U.S. origination air traffic within ten years.  25% of United Airlines capacity (measured by available seats) is already in the the Asia-Pacific region. China air travel is increasing by six million passengers each year. 

FAA Manages Delays Caused by More Air Traffic

Flight delays in the U.S. have increased, and the FAA is revamping the way it directs traffic to ease these delays.  Their strategy, which is to spread out the delays more equitably, causes more aircraft to endure delays, but overall shorter ones.  This means that rather than just shutting down takeoffs at big airports, FAA controllers now assign delays to flights throughout a region -- or send flights on longer routes to create more space in the skies.

This system is especially significant when bad weather plays a part, such as recently when Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana and Mississippi and then the bad weather moved northeast.

Other changes by the FAA to better manage traffic include reducing the required distance between planes from 2,000 feet to 1,000 feet vertically, doubling capacity at cruising altitude for jets.  New computer programs have also recently come on-line to provide better information for controllers.

An example of the new system is the FAA has drafted 4,000 different ways to reroute flights in the U.S. between New York and Florida, a heavily-travelled route.   

PIA Resumes Flights to Nairobi

Pakistan International Airways is resuming flights to Kenya after an absence of many years.  The decision to again offer service from Karachi to Nairobi is based on increased passenger traffic and  cargo volume.

European Travel Surge

European airlines reported higher passenger growth in August.  Air France-KLM, Britain's EasyJet, Scandinavia's SAS and Finland's Finnair posted solid increases in passenger miles flown.

Air France-KLM said its passenger traffic rose 8.1% in August alone, which increased its load factor 2.4% last month.

EasyJet passenger numbers rose 18% in August as compared to August 2004.  It's current load factor is 88.4%.

Ryanair said its August traffic rose 27% year-to-year to 3.26 million passengers, which for the first surpassed British Airways.

SAS reported a 6.4% increase in passenger traffic.

Finnair carried 723,000 passengers in August, which is a 7.5% increase from the prior year.

Regional, a fully-owned subsidiary of Air France, has just purchased six EMBRAER 190LR aircraft with an option to buy six additional. Delivery of the new aircraft to begin early in 2007.  The new jets will be deployed throughout Regional's network, linking 45 major cities in Europe with France.

More Partnerships Feed Aviation's Growth

Lufthansa AG's cargo unit has finalized a partnership with Shenzhen Airlines.

Singapore Airlines Cargo is forming a partnership in China with Temasek Holdings and China Great Wall Industry Corp.

China Airlines has been approved to buy 25% of China Eastern Airlines cargo unit.

Korean Air is acquiring a 25% stake in China's Okay Airways.

Korean Air and China's Okay Airways Partner

More growth ... more pilots will be needed. South Korea carrier Korean Air has announced its aim to become the world's largest air-cargo company within the next two years.  An important part of their growth strategy is to target the booming air cargo and passenger demand in China.

Korean Air's cargo volume growth has increased approximately 50% in China this year, and passenger volume has increased nearly 30% for the same period.  Korean Air has asked the Seoul government to allow them to add more capacity between China and Korea to take advantage of this increased demand. Currently Korean Air has 123 direct weekly flights to China.

In addition, Korean Air has signed a letter of intent to purchase a 25% stake in Okay Airways, China's first private carrier.  This is the maximum ownership allowed by foreign investors in a Chinese airline.