CHICAGO- United Airlines (UA) will hire fewer employees than initially planned this year due to delays in aircraft deliveries from Boeing, a company executive announced on Tuesday (June 4, 2024).
Kate Gebo, head of United’s human resources and labor relations, informed reporters that the airline now expects to hire around 10,000 new employees in 2024, down from the previously planned 13,000 to 15,000.
United Slows Hiring Amid Boeing Delivery Delays
Since January, the company has added 4,000 new team members, including over 800 pilots and more than 600 flight attendants, Gebo stated.
“Our hiring efforts are directly tied to our orders and the growth of our operation,” Gebo added.
The company hired 16,000 new employees in 2023, Reuters reported.
United, a major customer of Boeing, has been affected by the planemaker’s safety crisis, which led Boeing to reduce its aircraft delivery estimates for this year by 25% to 66 jets.
The delays in aircraft deliveries have decreased United’s aircraft utilization, resulting in overstaffing. In response, United paused pilot hiring and offered voluntary unpaid leave to its pilots to manage the excess staffing.
However, the company has now resumed pilot hiring, United said on Tuesday.
Unpaid Leave for Pilots
Earlier this year, United Airlines requested pilots to consider taking unpaid time off next month, attributing the delay in aircraft arrivals from Boeing, as stated in a communication sent to pilots.
This development underscores how Boeing’s production challenges and safety issues affect its customers’ growth strategies.
In a note to members, the United branch of the Air Line Pilots Association, the pilots’ union, conveyed, “Due to recent adjustments in our Boeing deliveries, the projected block hours for United in 2024 have been significantly reduced. While the delivery issues primarily pertain to our 787 and 737 fleets, the repercussions will extend to other aircraft fleets.”
United Airlines confirmed the request for voluntary unpaid time off. Earlier, the airline had announced a halt in pilot hiring for this spring due to delayed aircraft arrivals from Boeing, as reported by CNBC.
The union anticipates that United will extend offers for additional time off “for the summer bid periods and potentially into the fall.”
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