Spirit Airlines Teams Up with Liberty University to Address Pilot Shortage

Spirit Airlines announced on Thursday a new partnership with Liberty University, the 10th institution it is collaborating with, to address the pilot shortage in the aviation industry.

Under this program, students pursuing aviation degrees at Liberty University’s School of Aeronautics in Lynchburg, Virginia, will have the opportunity to apply to Spirit Airlines’ pilot training pipeline after completing their sophomore year. To be eligible for the program, prospective trainees will need a recommendation from a faculty member.

Upon completion of their studies and accumulation of flight hours, students working towards an aviation degree can receive conditional job offers. They will then undergo airline pilot training programs and join as first officers.

“We are thrilled to have reached this milestone by announcing the Spirit Wings Pilot Pathway Program in collaboration with our esteemed partners,” said Ryan Rodosta, senior director of flight operations and system chief pilot at Spirit Airlines.

Other airlines are also taking steps to address the pilot shortage. Due to U.S. law, commercial airline pilots can only fly until age 65. The Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in an increase in retirements, exacerbating the shortage, especially at regional carriers.

JetBlue recently introduced its Gateway Rotor Transition Program, which aims to train U.S. military helicopter pilots to transition into airline pilots. JetBlue expects over 10% of its new pilot hires in 2023 to come from its Gateway programs.

In 2020, United Airlines purchased a flight academy with the goal of hiring more than 10,000 new pilots in the next ten years.

Airlines are motivated to use pipeline programs to train new pilots. U.S. regulations require pilots to undergo 1,500 hours of training to fly for commercial airlines, though exceptions exist for military-trained pilots and those who complete flight training programs as part of their two- or four-year degrees.