Press release
United Celebrates Historic First Graduating Class of Flight Academy Pilots
Inaugural class puts airline on path towards training about 5,000 new pilots at the flight school by 2030 with a goal of at least half being women or people
About this update from United Airlines Holdings, Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":"Inaugural class puts airline on path towards training about 5,000 new pilots at the flight school by 2030 with a goal of at least half being women or people of color\nInvestments in training and infrastructure pave the way for United to hire more than 2,500 pilots in 2023, with a goal to add at least 10,000 pilots by the end of this decade\nUnited CEO Scott Kirby, United COO Toby Enqvist, and other special guests on hand at Phoenix Goodyear Airport to honor academy's very first graduates\nPhotos and BRoll may be found here\nGOODYEAR, Ariz., Jan. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- United, the only major U.S. airline to own a flight school, is celebrating the graduation of United Aviate Academy's inaugural class of pilots, an important step towards training the next generation of talented, qualified, and motivated aviators. The inaugural graduating class includes 51 students – with nearly 80% being women or people of color – marking the next step towards the airline's goal to train about 5,000 new pilots at the school by 2030, with the added goal of at least half women or people of color.\nThe recruitment and hiring of pilots is a priority at United and the academy is an example of the long-term investments in infrastructure, training, and aircraft the airline has made in the past few years. Just last month, United purchased more widebodies than any U.S. airline in history and announced it's now the largest carrier across both the Pacific and Atlantic. To support that growth, United hired about 2,400 pilots in 2022 and plans to hire another 2,500 this year. United intends to add at least 10,000 pilots by the end of this decade.\nUnited CEO Scott Kirby and United COO Toby Enqvist will honor the first class of graduates at a ceremony later this morning at the Phoenix Goodyear Airport.\n\"United is leading the industry in the training, recruitment and hiring of the next generation of talented commercial pilots and the progress we've made at United Aviate Academy after just one year is another example of an airline where good leads the way,\" said Kirby. \"I'm so proud of this first class of graduates – they've taken an important first step in their career and they reflect our commitment to hiring people who exceed the highest professional and safety standards. I look forward to eventually welcoming them to our United team and I can't wait to s...