Air Travel Returning To Pre-Pandemic Levels

The TSA just reported the third busiest day for air travel in 2 years with TSA checkpoint volume from March 15, 2022, up nearly 100% from 2020 – huge numbers for an industry that struggled to stay afloat during the pandemic.

For airlines, the uptrend is providing a much needed boost to revenue and generating a stronger demand for flight scheduling and route access. When air-travel hit its 2021 low, many carriers reduced service locations and the number of available flights to normally high-volume destinations in order to hedge operational costs.

Now, with the warmer weather on the horizon and spring break in full effect, airlines are seeing a surge in ticket sales to key destinations around the nation and as confidence in domestic travel continues to grow, the forecast for airlines is finally looking up again.

But it’s not just domestic travel that is projected to recover over the coming months. Despite restrictions still in place for many international destinations, the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) expects a return to pre-pandemic levels of travel and tourism in 2022, contributing a much needed $2 trillion boost to the U.S. economy.

While its great news for would-be travelers, the incoming rebound could leave many airlines with a serious predicament: there’s not enough pilots.

Previously, we have mentioned the pilot shortage and the potential impact that it could have on the industry, but as the number of passengers grow, it’s becoming more of an issue as the reality of a post-covid travel world sets in.

Regional airlines like SkyWest are feeling the most pressure, as their senior pilots are being recruited to fill the ranks of their larger partner airlines in order to fulfill the needs of high-demand routes, with American Airlines CEO Doug Parker recently saying “We’re depleting the ranks faster than we can get new hires ramped back up.”

Right now, there is no obvious solution outside of simply training more pilots and making that training more affordable. AeroGuard’s partnership with SkyWest Airlines and our Reduced Hours Course are aimed at exactly that by providing a clear path from student to commercial pilot in about 2 years.

New cadets can expect to reap the rewards of the shortage by way of huge salary and benefit incentives, mixed with long-term job security and a generally positive growth forecast over the next two decades.

AeroGuard sees this as a winning situation for both airlines and future pilots, as the next wave of cadets take to the skies to help the world return to normal.

Learn more about our pilot training programs here.