United Airlines Drops Hiring Plans, Blames Boeing

United Airlines, one of the biggest American airlines, has announced that it will now hire fewer employees than the initial plan for 2024. The stated reason for the decision is Boeing’s delays in aircraft deliveries.

Announcement

The news was revealed to Reuters by Kate Gebo, executive vice president, HR & Labour Relations, United Airlines. Gebo stated that the airline initially expected to hire around 13,000-15,000 employees, but due to the delay in aircraft delivery, it will only hire around 10,000 employees in 2024. It was also reported that 4,000 new members have joined the United’s team since January 2024, more than 800 of whom were pilots and more than 600 flight attendants. “Our hiring efforts are directly tied to the orders and the growth of our operation,” Gebo said.

United Airlines had previously put the hiring of new pilots on hold, and had offered voluntary unpaid leaves to them due to overstaffing. However, reports suggest that even amidst the current aircraft supply shortage, the company has resumed its hiring process just for pilots. Gebo also revealed that despite cutting down on hiring, the company has received around 260,000 job applications this year.