Pilot Shortage: Airlines Struggle with Captains' Reluctance
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby has confirmed that the airline is facing a problem finding pilots to fill captain vacancies, which is impacting its flight capacity in the fourth quarter. Senior first officers are reportedly avoiding promotion to captain due to the unpredictable schedule that comes with the bigger paycheck. United has had 978 captain vacancies go unfilled in the past year, and bids for 50% of the vacancies posted have gone unanswered. The airline's pilots blame current work rules for making senior first officers reluctant to take promotions, but United has made efforts to address these issues in its new pilot contract.