Why Airline Pilots Aren’t Getting Hired in 2026

Right after COVID, when the airlines were slowly waking up, we had our pick of highly experienced pilots. You would think our pass rate would climb. It didn’t. It stayed at 30%.

Even among the most experienced, only the very best took the very few seats on offer. That is the market again now, and worse. Airlines don’t need many pilots. They need a few, and the candidates far outnumber the jobs.

It is the time of the Chuck Yeagers and the astronaut interviews. Just being average, just showing up, just having the qualifications is simply not enough anymore.