Delta to have 7,000 more pilots than needed in the fall: memo

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. Wow. And to think that just a few months ago there was a pilot shortage.

Before I retired I worked for Delta (NWA before the merger) and saw first-hand the fluctuations in crew staffing as economic circumstances changed. Airlines are one of the canaries in the economy's coal mine because one of the first things to go in hard times is discretionary travel. After 9/11 a whole lot of pilots were furloughed and didn't come back for quite awhile, but eventually hiring increased dramatically. By the time I retired they were saying there would be a very serious pilot shortage within a few years. But now, I guess not. I recall one older pilot talking about how he'd been furloughed every 12 years or so, which sounds about right. Again.