Since covid-19 restrictions on travel started to lift, a wave of early retirements has left the airline industry with a major shortage of qualified pilots. According to United Airlines (UAL) CEO Scott Kirby, the airline has "over 100 regional aircraft that effectively aren't flying because there are not enough pilots to fly them."
In 2022, United Airlines launched the Aviate Academy in order to train a new generation of pilots. The program offers a path to training and licensing for folks who might not have the opportunity to pursue a pilot's license.
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In the past, pilots who didn't learn to fly via the military needed a lot of time and money to get started.
"Basically, you either had to go through the military or you needed to have access to someone willing to give you a hundred, $150,000 to get through all the training," Kirby said. "It's just a huge barrier to entry."
Thanks to United's efforts to lower that barrier, the Aviate Academy has graduated its first class of pilots. And the class looks a lot different than your typical white, male airline pilot. In fact, 80% of the program's graduates were women or marginalized groups.
"It looks nothing like the industry," says aspiring pilot Ricki Foster. "But guess what it does look like? It does look like the demographic we serve. It looks like our passengers."
