Does Southwest Airlines have enough pilots?

Southwest Airlines has more than 700 planes but parks 40 to 45 of them each day because it lacks pilots to fly them, said CEO Bob Jordan at a recent media event. That amounts to more than 200 flights a day or up to 8% of the Dallas-based airline's flying.



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Currently, the airline has 40 aircraft grounded due to a shortage of pilots. The CEO of the world's largest low-cost carrier, Southwest Airlines (WN), expects the global pilot shortage to drag on for at least another three years.

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In 2022 alone, Southwest hired a total of 1,000 pilots, and it plans to take on an additional 1,700 in 2023.

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The estimated total pay for a Airline Pilot at Southwest Airlines is $163,709 per year. This number represents the median, which is the midpoint of the ranges from our proprietary Total Pay Estimate model and based on salaries collected from our users. The estimated base pay is $118,827 per year.

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As the data shows, SkyWest Airlines has the largest fleet and the largest number of pilots, domiciles, and destinations of any U.S. regional airline. SkyWest is also the only regional airline to partner with all four major U.S. airlines (United, Delta, American, and Alaska).

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Airline Pilots have a minimum of 12 to 15 days off per month,depending on the airline. For example, in a 30-day month, Southwest Airlines mandates that pilots take 15 reserve days. In addition, FAA regulations allow pilots to fly just 1,000 hours a year.

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For instance, Southwest Airlines pilots earn an average annual salary of $222,000. However, some Southwest pilots earn as much as $549,000. Similarly, United Airlines pilots earn an average of $205,000. The average Delta Airlines pilot earns $192,000 with top-earners making $526,000.

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Airline pilots fly an average of 75 hours per month and work an additional 150 hours per month performing other duties, such as checking weather conditions and preparing flight plans. Pilots have variable work schedules that may include some days of work followed by some days off.

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A pillar of these reforms is the “1,500 Hour Rule” which requires first officers, also known as co-pilots, to have a minimum of 1,500 hours of flight training time. Since this rule was implemented in 2012, our skies have never been safer.

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The aviation industry has been grappling with a significant pilot shortage after the COVID-19 pandemic in late 2020 and continued into 2021 and beyond, with no exception in 2023.

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Consulting firm Oliver Wyman estimates that despite efforts to close the gap, airlines in North America will face a shortage of nearly 30,000 pilots by 2032. The supply of new pilots will grow, but not enough to offset a continuing wave of retirements, the consultant says. There is cause for hope, however.

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Research from Oliver Wyman shows that because of more demand for travel these days, there's a need for more pilots than can be supplied, as pilot training comes with a price tag and time commitment that can be quite challenging. Not enough pilots could mean fewer flights available for travelers.

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A pilot shortage with nearly 15,000 pilots set to retire in the next five years, according to a 2022 study from the Regional Airline Association. Air traffic controller shortage with 10% fewer fully certified air traffic controllers than a decade ago.

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The average hourly rate for Pilot in companies like Southwest Airlines range from $65 to $81 with the average hourly pay of $73.

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But as air travel demand continues to recover in 2022, our most recent forecast now projects that demand for pilots will outstrip supply in most regions globally between 2022 and 2024 — and continue to worsen over the next decade.

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Emirates, Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways, and Singapore Airlines are commercial airlines that pay the highest pilot salaries.

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In 2019, American Airlines reported the highest average flight attendant salary ($69,664) among the major North American airlines, according to data compiled by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Airline Data Project. United Airlines came in second ($66,363) and Delta came in third ($61,488).

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