American Airlines is looking for new pilots. Despite having contract disputes, the troubled airline is hoping to hire 2,500 new pilots over the next five years.
American Airlines, which filed for bankruptcy in November is in a continuous battle with the pilots union as they want to cut labor costs, yet the airline is hoping to add more pilots to its staff.
CEO Tom Horton wrote a letter to employees on Wednesday saying that the airline is looking to hire new pilots for new international and domestic routes, according to CNN Money.
"The new American will be doing even more international flying, providing greater opportunities for career advancement and increased income for our people," Horton said in the letter.
The new flight routes include Dallas/Fort Worth to Seoul, South Korea and Lima, Peru; from Chicago to Dusseldorf, Germany; and from JFK airport in New York to Dublin, Ireland, according to CNN. Domestic service would also be increased from Chicago and Dallas. The airline is also planning to add 550 new aircrafts to the fleet.
Roughly 1,500 of the newly hired pilots will replace those who are retiring and filling in jobs that open up due to attrition. There are currently 7,500 active pilots working for the airline, according to CNN.
The pilots union is a bit skeptical over Horton's announcement. Tom Hoban, spokesman for the Allied Pilots Association, believes the airline is looking for new hires in hopes that negotiations will be met.
"We once had over 13,000 pilots," Hoban told CNN. "It's been the incredible shrinking airline ... unless they ink it in the contract, it doesn't have a lot of credibility with the pilots."
Last week, American Airlines anounced their plan to hire 1,500 new flight attendants as well. The new hires would replace flight attendants that accepted a $40,000 buyout offer.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
