Across the US, more than 10 million people are employed in the aviation industry
. This includes the more than 1 million people directly employed by airlines and airports, as well as those indirectly linked to aviation through supply chains and third-party providers.
Photo: Alaska Airlines
The airline industry is so important to the US economy that it supports more than 5% of GDP, by supporting and driving demand in related industries such as tourism, manufacturing, and research and development. According to Airlines For America, every one airline job supports nine other jobs, such as:
- Taxi and ride-share drivers
- Hotel staff
- Retail workers
- Construction workers
- Financial services employees.
Photo: American Airlines
The pandemic and subsequent collapse in global air travel spelled chaos for the entire industry, with many airlines forced to downsize in order to stay afloat. Since then, the recovery in air travel has gone from strength to strength, to the extent that some airlines across the country have struggled to recruit enough crew members to cover their rapidly expanding operations. This led to significant disruption throughout 2021 and 2022, although since then, the situation appears to have stabilized.
With that in mind, Simple Flying takes a look at which US airlines are currently recruiting.
Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines is currently looking for a number of roles, both operational and corporate. At its base at Portland International Airport (PDX), the carrier is recruiting ramp agents, and is even offering a $1,000 sign-on bonus for new recruits. Meanwhile, for those looking for a position in Alaska Airlines’ head office in Seattle, current vacancies include:
- Principal Software Engineer
- Director of Loyalty Program Management
- HR Initiatives Program Manager.
Photo: Paparacy | Shutterstock
For those looking to work in the air, both Alaska Airlines and its regional subsidiary Horizon Air are currently looking for flight attendants based at either Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC) or Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA). On its careers website, Alaska Airlines highlights what prospective flight attendants may expect from a career with the carrier, saying,
“A career as a flight attendant at Alaska Airlines or Horizon Air is fast-paced, responsibility-filled—and a lot of fun. Constant travel, a flexible schedule, meeting new people, and providing safe, comfortable, memorable journeys for guests make the life of a flight attendant endlessly exciting and rewarding.”
Photo: Carlos Yudica | Shutterstock
If successful in the recruitment process, flight attendants go on to complete a four- to six-week training course before taking to the skies from their allocated base. Mainline crew will operate on the carrier’s extensive fleet of Boeing 737 family aircraft, including the 737-800 and 737 MAX 9, while those flying for Horizon Air will operate on the Embraer E175. Together, Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air operate from 10 crew bases throughout the West Coast and Alaska, including:
- Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC)
- Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
- San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
- Portland International Airport (PDX).
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American Airlines
American Airlines is also looking for flight attendants at its numerous bases across the US, including Miami International Airport (MIA), Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), and Boston Logan International Airport (BOS).
Photo: American Airlines
When it comes to corporate roles, many are based in the carrier’s Skyview head office, located in Dallas/Fort Worth. The state-of-the-art facilities provide collaboration spaces for connecting with colleagues locally and globally. The oneworld member airline is currently recruiting for several roles based at Skyview, such as Fatigue Risk Management Manager, Financial Planning Analyst, and IT Network Engineer. On its careers website, American Airlines showcases what it is like to work at Skyview:
Employees at the world’s largest airline (when measured by number of passengers) benefit from a host of perks, including reduced-price travel on American Airlines flights, as well as those operated by oneworld partners, quite literally opening up a whole world of travel opportunities.
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Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines is the world’s largest airline when measured by fleet size, so it comes as no surprise that the carrier employs over 100,000 people across the globe. Among the roles currently available at the SkyTeam carrier’s head office in Atlanta and beyond are:
- General Manager – Enterprise Strategy (Atlanta)
- Communications Intern – Summer 2025 (Atlanta)
- Aircraft Maintenance Technician (Los Angeles, Atlanta, Minnesota, Las Vegas)
- Ramp Agent (Austin).
Photo: Croatorum | Shutterstock
Those hoping to work for Delta Air Lines as crew members, either flight attendants or pilots, will be able to fly on a varied fleet of Airbus and Boeing aircraft. The latest data from ch-aviation shows that the carrier currently operates a fleet of a staggering 1,007 aircraft, including 31 Airbus A330neos, 33 A350-900s, 163 Boeing 737-900ERs, and 45 767-300ERs.
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United Airlines
United Airlines aims to hire more than 10,000 pilots over the coming decade in order to keep up with increases in travel demand and to replace those who are due to retire. The carrier’s Aviate program is designed to offer aspiring pilots the most secure pathway to a United Airlines flight deck. Upon successful completion of the program, pilots can be based at one of the airline’s eight hubs or three crew bases:
- Denver International Airport (DEN)
- Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)
- Guam International Airport (GUM)
- Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD)
- Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH)
- Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
- Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD)
- San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
- Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE) – crew base
- Orlando International Airport (MCO) – crew base
- Las Vegas Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) – crew base.
Photo: Karolis Kavolelis | Shutterstock
United Airlines’ worldwide presence means that it also has numerous job roles available outside the US, such as Aircraft Maintenance Technician, based at Mexico City International Airport (MEX) and IT Applications Development Manager, based in Gurugram, India.
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Fancy working for a US airline? Among the other carriers currently actively recruiting are JetBlue, Southwest Airlines, and Hawaiian Airlines.