Summary
- Mesa Airlines furloughs 53 pilots due to reduced attrition levels and fleet size changes.
- The airline’s contract with United Airlines and changes to its fleet have affected pilot requirements.
- Furloughs are chosen over layoffs due to temporary nature, pilot shortage, and cost-effectiveness.
Mesa Airlines became the latest airline to reduce its pilot workforce after it emailed the affected pilots. The decision comes despite the airline’s recent success, which included a quarterly net profit of $6.3 million.
The reason
Mesa has cited “a significant and unexpected reduction in pilot attrition levels” as the cause for the 53 furloughs. Many of the furloughed pilots are junior first officers, who were notified by an email sent out early on Friday, June 28th. The airline has also seen reductions in fleet size and contracts, which means it requires fewer pilots to operate the existing fleet.
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In early 2023, the airline ended its contract with American Airlines, leaving United Airlines as the only passenger airline that contracts out to Mesa. The latter began making changes to its fleet earlier this year, severely affecting the contracting airline.
In addition, Mesa announced late last month that it would wind down its DHL contracted cargo operations, citing a lull in cargo demand. According to Ch Aviation, Mesa has 64 active aircraft in its fleet, including two Boeing 737s, Bombardier CRJ900s, and Embraer ERJ-190s.
As a result of its contract with United, Mesa operates United-owned ERJ-175s. Earlier this year, the flag carrier stated that its regional partner SkyWest Airlines would receive 20 ERJ-175s from another United Express carrier. At the time, it wasn’t clear where the aircraft would be sourced from, but according to data from Cirium, an aviation analytics company, the jets are coming from Mesa. So far, 11 have been sent to SkyWest.
Simple Flying has contacted Mesa regarding the furloughs but has not heard back.
Other furloughs
In April, Spirit Airlines announced its intention to furlough pilots. According to Denver 7, the ultra-low-cost carrier will furlough roughly 260 pilots in September.
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The furloughs result from the airline’s agreement with Airbus to delay delivery of Airbus A320s and ground other aircraft due to supposed engine issues. The airline stated that reducing the fleet would reduce revenue, making it harder to pay staff, and it would have to furlough pilots to manage profits.
United Airlines joined Spirit in April, asking pilots to take unpaid leave due to Boeing aircraft delivery delays. The airline would continue to pay these pilots benefits. It also warned the situation could continue into the early summer months.
Why furlough and not fire?
Airlines choose to furlough pilots and not let them go for multiple reasons, mainly because they believe the situation to be temporary, that demand will rise again, and the need for pilots will rise with it. In addition, it is cheaper to furlough than to fire and rehire staff.
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There is a global pilot shortage due to the cyclical nature of the job and the mandatory retirement age. COVID-19 exacerbated the situation, resulting in airlines losing pilots at an accelerated rate.
Many of the furloughed pilots are junior first officers because many agreements dictate that pilots are furloughed based on seniority; therefore, the seasoned pilots retain their jobs and livelihoods.
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