The aircraft—which take off vertically like a helicopter but cruise on fixed wings like an airplane—could begin flying passengers in the Big Apple as soon as next year.

Atlantic on Thursday said the chargers will be installed at its terminal at the East 34th Street Heliport (6N5) on the Manhattan waterfront, where the company this week agreed with the city’s Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) to extend its operations for the next five years.

The location is a hub for trips in and around New York City and handles flights for New York University’s Langone Health Center. And according to Atlantic, eVTOL manufacturers Joby Aviation and Archer Aviation—which have announced New York City as a launch market in partnership with Delta Air Lines and United Airlines, respectively—plan to use the site in the coming years.

To accommodate both companies’ air taxis, Atlantic will install combined charging system (CCS) and global electric aviation charging system (GEACS) chargers.

The CCS was originally designed as a standard for electric ground vehicles and has been widely endorsed—including by the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA), as well as Archer and other manufacturers—as the standard for eVTOL aircraft. Joby chose to develop its own system, GEACS, which like the CCS is billed as a universal charger for electric aircraft. The main difference is that CCS systems can also accommodate ground vehicles.

Atlantic said it is working with Joby, Archer, and a third partner, Beta Technologies, to ensure that all certified eVTOL models can land at the heliport as soon as they receive the FAA’s green light to begin flying passengers.

“Maintaining our presence at the East 34th Street Heliport and expanding infrastructure there to support eVTOL operations aligns with our commitment to community-beneficial transportation solutions and will support New York City on its journey to facilitating quiet and sustainable aviation operations,” said John Redcay, chief commercial and sustainability officer at Atlantic.

New York is already home to scheduled and on-demand helicopter services such as Blade Air Mobility. But eVTOL air taxi manufacturers promise a service that is faster and quieter.

Joby and Archer, through its Archer Air subsidiary, each own FAA Part 135 air carrier permissions and are in the thick of the type certification process. The companies intend to offer flights to and from local airports, including Newark Liberty International Airport (KEWR) and John F. Kennedy International Airport (KJFK), with eVTOL air taxis that can carry up to four passengers plus a pilot.

The zero-emission aircraft cruise at around 150 to 200 mph, charging in about 10-15 minutes for minimal downtime between flights. They are also significantly quieter than helicopters—NASA, for example, found that Joby’s air taxi produces about as much noise as a typical conversation at cruising altitude.

Joby earlier this month showcased its air taxi at New York’s Grand Central Terminal and last year performed the first eVTOL demonstration flights in the city, lifting off from the Downtown Manhattan Heliport (KJRB) as Mayor Eric Adams and other officials looked on. Adams after the event announced the city’s plans to electrify the heliport.

Joby and Delta, meanwhile, are working with the New York Port Authority and NYCEDC to build eVTOL infrastructure at JFK and LaGuardia International Airport (KLGA). According to the manufacturer, an air taxi flight from Manhattan to JFK would take about seven minutes compared to an hour-plus drive by car.

Archer, on the other hand, estimates a flight in its Midnight air taxi from the Downtown Manhattan Heliport to United’s terminal at Newark Liberty would take about 10 minutes, compared to more than an hour in rush hour traffic. The company will initially operate airport-to-city-center “trunk” routes before adding “branch” routes that connect wider communities.

“New York City is leading the way in embracing this exciting new technology…that will bring significant quality of life improvements for New Yorkers and new sustainable transportation,” said Andrew Kimball, president and CEO of NYCEDC. “NYCEDC looks forward to working with Atlantic Aviation in our continued partnership as they ready East 34th Street for quieter and greener helicopter alternatives.”

Archer and Joby claim their offerings will be akin to ground-based rideshare services such as Uber or Lyft. Joby, for example, recently unveiled an Uber-like software for pilots and riders, which autonomously assigns users a flight based on their desired origin, destination, and departure time. Through an integration, Joby riders will be able to book rides on the Uber platform and vice versa.

The companies also claim their services will be cost competitive with existing rideshare platforms. Both firms have appointed veterans of Uber Elevate—which ran the short-lived UberCopter service—to their leadership teams, which could help them learn from the failed service’s missteps.

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The Atlanta-based airline hopes to return its regional capacity to pre-pandemic levels in summer 2025, driven by improvements in pilot supply, company leadership shared during a third-quarter earnings call on Thursday.

“With hiring and training normalizing, we are growing into our resources and gaining traction on efficiency and initiatives, helping fund continued investments in our people and brand,” said Delta finance chief Dan Janki during the call.

Data from the Future and Active Pilot Advisors (FAPA) shows that Delta has hired 870 pilots so far in 2024, representing an over 50 percent year-over-year change from the same period in 2023. As a whole, the industry follows a similar trend, with major U.S. carriers reporting a roughly 40 percent reduction in hiring numbers overall.

Delta expects industrywide pilot hiring to be more in line with 2019 levels.

“As you know, pilot constraints as the majors were hiring early in the recovery period put a lot of strain on availability of pilot crews for the regional carriers…and we’ve been working very closely with them,” Delta president Glen Hauenstein said.

Hauenstein added that the company expects U.S. airlines to hire approximately 5,000 pilots next year. In 2019, airlines were just 23 new hires short of this figure, according to FAPA’s data.

“So [we are] returning to more normalized pilot hiring across the industry,” Hauenstein said.

This article first appeared on AirlineGeeks.com.

The post Delta: ‘More Normalized’ Industrywide Pilot Hiring Anticipated appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The wing of an Airbus A350 struck the tail of Endeavor Bombardier CRJ-900, shearing it off. 

The CRJ-900 was operated by Endeavor Air, a Delta subsidiary, according to AirlineGeeks.com.

According to a spokesperson from Delta, the Airbus was taxiing out when it made contact with the smaller jet on an adjacent runway, “resulting in damage to the tail of the regional jet and the wing of the A350.”

The impact “resulted in the vertical and horizontal stabilizer of the CRJ being severed from the aircraft,” a spokesperson from the FAA told FLYING. The agency, along with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), is investigating the accident.

No injuries were reported on either flight. The Airbus, which was en route as DL295 to Tokyo-Haneda Airport (RJTT) had 221 on board while the CRJ-900 headed to Lafayette, Louisiana, had 56 on board. Both aircraft returned to the terminal and the customers rebooked on other flights.

Photographs on social media show the tail of the CRJ900 torn from its vertical position and laying across the empennage of the aircraft.

The post Delta Jets Damaged After Collision on Taxiway in Atlanta appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Microsoft attorney Mark Cheffo said on Tuesday that Delta’s public comments are incomplete, false, misleading, and damaging to the tech giant and its reputation in a written response to the airline posted on X by aviation reporter David Slotnick.

This comes a day after CrowdStrike attorney Michael Carlinsky told Delta it was misleading to say CrowdStrike was responsible for the airline’s IT decisions after nationwide outages in mid-July. A letter to Delta by Carlinsky stated CrowdStrike, a global cybersecurity provider, has worked diligently to address the outages, as well as offered onsite assistance to Delta—which Carlinsky says the airline refused.

• READ MORE: CrowdStrike Disputes Negligence Claims in Letter to Delta Attorney

In Cheffo’s written response to the airline on behalf of Microsoft, Cheffo states that while the tech company’s software had not caused the CrowdStrike incident, the company immediately jumped in and offered to assist Delta at no charge following the July 19 outage.

“Each day that followed from July 19 through July 23, Microsoft employees repeated their offers to help Delta,” Cheffo said in the letter to the airline’s attorney, David Boies. “Each time, Delta turned down Microsoft’s offers to help, even though Microsoft would not have charged Delta for this assistance.”

Additionally, Cheffo states that on the morning of July 22, a Microsoft employee who was aware of Delta’s difficulties recovering from the outage reached out to a Delta employee to offer further assistance.

“The Delta employee replied, saying, ‘All good. Cool will let you know and thank you,’” Cheffo said. “Despite this assessment that things were ‘all good,’ public reports indicate that Delta canceled more than 1,100 flights on July 22 and more than 500 flights on July 23.”

Cheffo said that more senior Microsoft executives also repeatedly reached out to help counterparts at Delta, again with similar results. On July 24, Cheffo said that Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella emailed Delta CEO Ed Bastian, who has never replied.

• READ MORE: IT Outage Cost Delta Air Lines $500 Million

“In fact, it is rapidly becoming apparent that Delta likely refused Microsoft’s help because the IT system it was most having trouble restoring its crew-tracking and scheduling system-was being serviced by other technology providers, such as IBM, because it runs on those providers’ systems, and not Microsoft Windows or Azure,” Cheffo said.

Microsoft’s attorney echoed CrowdStrike’s list of demands to preserve all relevant documents, records, and communications of any kind in the possession of the airline.

“Given Delta’s false and damaging public statements, Microsoft will vigorously defend itself in any litigation if Delta chooses to pursue that path,” Cheffo said.

This article first appeared on AirlineGeeks.com.

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According to a letter posted on X by aviation reporter David Slotnick on Sunday, CrowdStrike attorney Michael Carlinsky told Delta attorney David Boies that it was misleading to say CrowdStrike was responsible for Delta’s IT decisions in response to the outage. Boies was reportedly retained by Delta to seek damages from both CrowdStrike and Microsoft after airline CEO Ed Bastian said the outages cost the company $500 million.

“CrowdStrike reiterates its apology to Delta, its employees, and its customers, and is empathetic to the circumstances they faced,” the letter from Carlinsky states. “However, CrowdStrike is highly disappointed by Delta’s suggestion that CrowdStrike acted inappropriately and strongly rejects any allegation that it was grossly negligent or committed willful misconduct with respect to the Channel File 291 incident. Your suggestion that CrowdStrike failed to do testing and validation is contradicted by the very information on which you rely from CrowdStrike’s Preliminary Post Incident Review.”

The letter states that CrowdStrike has worked tirelessly to help its customers restore impacted systems and resume services to their customers. Carlinsky states in the letter that within hours of the incident, CrowdStrike reached out to Delta to offer help and make sure the airline was aware of an available fix.

• READ MORE: IT Outage Cost Delta Air Lines $500 Million

Additionally, Carlinsky says that CrowdStrike’s CEO personally reached out to Delta’s CEO to offer on-site assistance but received no response. After following up on the offer for on-site support, Carlinsky said Delta declined the offer for help.

“Delta’s public threat of litigation distracts from this work and has contributed to a misleading narrative that CrowdStrike is responsible for Delta’s IT decisions and response to the outage,” the letter continues. “Should Delta pursue this path, Delta will have to explain to the public, its shareholders, and ultimately a jury why CrowdStrike took responsibility for its actions— swiftly, transparently, and constructively-while Delta did not.”

Carlinsky argues in the letter that Delta will have to explain why its competitors facing similar challenges all restored normal operations faster and why the airline turned down free on-site help from CrowdStrike. He also states that any liability by CrowdStrike is contractually capped in the single-digit millions.

• READ MORE: GA, Private Aviation Dodge Worst of Cyber Outage Impact

Carlinsky stated that CrowdStrike demands Delta preserve all documents, records, and communications of any kind in the possession of the airline, including:

1. Delta’s response to the Channel File 291 incident.
2. Delta’s emergency backup, disaster recovery, and IT business continuity plans, and any related testing of those plans.
3. All assessments of Delta’s IT infrastructure, including any gaps and remediation recommendations, for the last five years, including in the wake of the Channel File 291 incident.
4. All decisions to upgrade or not upgrade Delta’s IT infrastructure in the last five years.
5. All scripts and software that Delta has deployed before and after the Channel File 291 incident to address possible Windows group policy corruption issues across the IT estate.
6. All system event logs for the weeks preceding and succeeding the Channel File 291 incident.
7. All encryption-level software that Delta deployed on all its IT infrastructure and the management of this software.
8. All technology and operating systems that Delta utilizes to assign workflow, routes, crews, flight schedules, etc. and any information, documents, or analysis on how that technology interacts with any software that Delta employs on its IT infrastructure.
9. Any data loss following the Channel File 291 incident related to Delta’s workflow routes, crew and flight schedules, and all communications with crew members following the Channel File 291 incident.
10. Delta’s response and recovery to any previous IT outages in the past five years.

“As I am sure you can appreciate, while litigation would be unfortunate, CrowdStrike will respond aggressively, if forced to do so, in order to protect its shareholders, employees, and other stakeholders,” the letter states.

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AirlineGeeks.com.

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Different sources have estimated the number as between 11 percent and as high as 20 percent. The company issued a statement to Private Jet Card Comparisons, an online news source that specializes in shared ownership aviation companies and their pricing programs.

“As a matter of policy, Wheels Up does not comment on personnel matters out of respect for the privacy of those involved,” the Wheels Up statement read in part. “However, given the release of internal communications, we do feel it is our responsibility to publicly acknowledge the macro industry factors were the largest contributor to our decision. The sharp decline in our pilot attrition rates in the first half of this year, due in part to a reduction of pilot hiring at the commercial airlines and pilots choosing to stay at Wheels Up, created the staffing imbalance that led to today’s actions.”

The statement cited that aligning its pilot roster with the size of its fleet is critical and “the abnormalities in the industry over these last few months made appropriate staffing forecasting against regular attrition challenging.”

Wheels Up did not immediately return a phone call Tuesday from AVweb for comment.

Despite a $500 million funding package from Delta Air Lines and a new management team, Wheels Up has continued to report losses, though executives still expect to return to profitability by the end of this year. The company reports it fleet includes around 170 aircraft: 59 Beech King Air turboprops, 43 Cessna Citation X super-midsize jets, and 35 Hawker 400XP light jets.

Earlier this month, according to a Jet Card Comparisons report, Wheels Up reduced daily minimum flight times for its jet aircraft and cut back the number of peak days for its entry-level program customers. In September, Wheels Up divested its aircraft management division.

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AVweb.

The post Wheels Up Confirms Pilot Layoffs appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Decades later, Captain Rosenkranz returned to LA, where he commanded a specially chartered Airbus A330-900neo for his final flight at Delta. On board were 112 of his friends and family, including fellow pilots who didn’t get a proper retirement send-off due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

“Back when COVID hit, some of my friends…couldn’t get a final flight,” Rosenkranz told FLYING. “My one friend, all he could do was an Orlando [Florida] turn instead of a nice international trip. And I remember thinking, you know, I don’t want to do that. I want to fly where I want to fly.”

To set his plan in motion, Rosenkranz said he pulled some strings in Delta’s charter department. The Atlanta-based airline regularly charters aircraft for sports teams and other special events, but never for one of its own team members.

“I sat down with the charter director…I think it was around October 2022, and I told him my idea, and he says I’ve never done this before,” Rosenkranz said. “I said, ‘Well, I’ll be the first.’”

Although Rosenkranz wasn’t turning 65 until June, a weekday in late February—often a lull for airline demand—proved more ideal for taking a widebody jet out of commercial service. Having become an Airbus A330 captain three years ago, he asked the airline for an A330-900neo, which is the latest-generation variant of the jet.

Not only did he receive his requested aircraft type, but Rosenkranz also asked for the special “Team USA” livery on N411DX, which Delta also obliged.

The Special Trip

Rosenkranz and his hand-picked passengers jetted off for Kona International Airport (PHKO) in Hawaii on February 27 for a daylong, overnight trip. The chartered A330 flew from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (KDFW) to LAX, where it made a roughly one-hour stop.

Then, the aircraft departed Los Angeles for Kona, arriving at approximately 2:30 p.m. HST. On February 28, the A330neo completed the same routing on the return, arriving back in Dallas-Fort Worth at 10:10 p.m. CST.

• READ MORE: A New Mission to Break Down Barriers

Joining Rosenkranz in the flight deck were longtime friends, one of whom he knew from a high school job at Safeway. The duo were once box boys together for the supermarket and now fly one of Delta’s largest aircraft.

“We had four pilots because you can’t fly a domestic leg and an ocean crossing in the same day,” Rosenkranz said. “So I had two of my friends fly the domestic portions from Dallas to LA, LA to Dallas.”

Rosenkranz said he flew both oceanic crossings to serve as his final two flights. Roughly 50 guests joined him in DFW, while the rest boarded in Los Angeles.

“We showed up in the terminal here at DFW, and about 50 friends and family were already there,” he said. “And it was very emotional for me just seeing everybody there clapping and giving me hugs. When we got to the gate there in LA, and my wife and I walked into the terminal in the gate area, another 60 friends and family were there. I started crying all over again.”

In Kona, Rosenkranz took care of his guests’ transportation to and from the airport, only asking them to pay for their one-night stays at a Hilton resort. The experience was made complete with a customary luau and a surprise renewal of wedding vows with his wife of nearly 42 years.

‘Fini’ Flights: Marking a Milestone

The tradition of the so-called “fini” flight dates back decades, finding its roots in the military. During their final flights, retiring pilots are met with fanfare. For the military side, this send-off can include an affectionate hose-down upon exiting the aircraft for a final time.

But in commercial aviation, retiring captains—who often wrap up their careers with decades of seniority under their belts—are met with grand gate parties and water cannon salutes by local firefighter crews. Some airlines allow captains to select their final flight and allow family members to join with free confirmed tickets.

Rosenkranz’s charter came with three different water cannon salutes, including in Kona, DFW, and most notably LA.

• READ MORE: Which U.S. Airlines Are Hiring Pilots?

The city of Los Angeles—which runs LAX—has long maintained a moratorium on water cannon salutes, citing local water shortages. By a stroke of luck, though, Delta was able to convince the city to make an exception for Rosenkranz’s special flight.

“So a week later, [a member of Delta’s charter team] calls back and said, ‘Well, the pilot’s name is this, and he grew up in Southern California. [He] and the other pilot were box boys at Safeway. His high school’s here,’” he said. “And whoever that person was said, ‘You know what? Let’s make it happen.’ So the FAA approved, the airport authority approved, and the fire department approved. I think I was the second one in nine years to get a [water cannon salute]. So, wow, just great.”

As the pandemic ravaged the airline industry, many retiring pilots lost out on the opportunity for a proper send-off flight. This was especially the case for widebody captains, who primarily flew long-haul flights, which were some of the first to be scuttled in 2020.

With his charter flight, Rosenkranz also sought to provide an additional opportunity for a proper sendoff to some of these pilots, all of whom he knew during his tenure at Delta.

A Decorated Career

Rosenkranz boasts a long and well-decorated aviation career, starting in the Air Force after graduating from an ROTC training course. In the military he flew the F-16.

Later, he would go on to write a book about his experiences flying during the Gulf War titled, Vipers in the Storm: Diary of a Gulf War Fighter Pilot.

“You know, I’m not Tom Clancy or Stephen King, so it certainly didn’t allow me to retire, but I’ve received thousands of letters from all over the world and kids in grade school, high school, and college will read the book and send me a note,” Rosenkranz said.

• READ MORE: Pro Track: Finding Your Way to an Airline Pilot Career

His airline career began in July 1991 when he started at Delta as a flight engineer on the Boeing 727. Throughout his time at the airline, he flew the 757/767, the Airbus A320, and most recently the A330 in the left seat.

“So, I would tell any new person…your love of aviation is going to carry you through anything, and then enjoy the job,” he said.

Rosenkranz said the No. 1 question about his retirement charter was the cost. Without going into too much detail, he said it was “probably a good year’s salary.”

“I mean, to be able to go out with your own jet and fly all your family and friends to Hawaii for a big luau, you just can’t put a price on it,” he said. “And you don’t want to be the richest man in the graveyard one day. So, I would do it again a hundred times and never look back. And so, I’ll be OK in life. And my wife and I will never forget this trip.”

This feature first appeared in the May 2024/Issue 948 of FLYING’s print edition.

The post Delta Air Lines Captain Makes the Ultimate ‘Fini’ Flight appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Despite the overall slowdown in hiring, many airlines are still looking for new pilots. Here are the airlines that are currently hiring pilots in the United States:

Which Major U.S. Airlines Are Hiring Pilots? 

Most major airlines in the United States have stopped or drastically reduced their hiring plans for the year, but there are some that are still recruiting new pilots.

• Delta Air Lines is the largest airline in the country that is currently hiring new pilots. However, the carrier has stated that it is slowing down pilot hiring for 2024 due to a more normalized post-pandemic growth pattern. The carrier operates a diverse fleet of Boeing and Airbus aircraft to destinations all around the world.
• JetBlue Airways is currently accepting applications for new first officers, while also recruiting pilots through its “JetBlue Gateways” career development programs. JetBlue is based in New York but has hubs along the East Coast and in California. The airline primarily flies narrowbody Airbus aircraft, while also having a small number of Embraer 190s.
• United Airlines has resumed hiring new pilots following a two-month pause. The airline has cited delays in the delivery of Boeing aircraft as a key reason for its hiring slowdown. United is another global airline that has a fleet of both Boeing and Airbus jets.

Which U.S. Low-Cost Carriers Are Hiring Pilots?

Many low-cost and ultra-low-cost carriers across the country are actively accepting applications for new pilots.

• Allegiant Air is accepting applications for new pilots from its two pathway programs and from the general public. The airline has around two dozen pilot bases spread across the country and a fleet of Airbus A319 and A320 aircraft. Allegiant is also slated to take delivery of its first Boeing 737 MAX later in 2024.
• Avelo Airlines is hiring both first officers and captains. Avelo has six operating bases split across the East and West Coasts. The airline flies Boeing 737-700 and Boeing 737-800 aircraft.
• Breeze Airways is only hiring direct entry captains for its Airbus A220 fleet. The startup airline has six A220 bases across the country.
• Frontier Airlines is currently hiring new pilots, citing a plan to grow to three times its current size over the next ten years. Using a fleet of Airbus narrowbody aircraft, the airline connects airports across the United States, Central America and the Caribbean.
• Sun Country Airlines is hiring new first officers. The airline also runs a college bridge program in partnership with three colleges throughout the Midwest. Its pilots are all based at Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport and fly a fleet of passenger and cargo Boeing 737-800s.

Which U.S. Regional Airlines Are Hiring Pilots?

As major U.S. airlines scale back their hiring, many regional carriers are actively hiring. Some are even offering significant signing bonuses, following a mass exodus of regional pilots to mainline carriers between 2021 and 2023.

• Air Wisconsin is currently hiring first officers and captains. The regional carrier operates a fleet of Bombardier CRJ200 aircraft under the American Eagle brand, out of American’s hubs in Chicago and Philadelphia.
• CommuteAir is hiring first officers and captains. The regional airline flies a fleet of Embraer ERJ-145 jets under the United Express banner, with hubs in Denver, Houston and Washington, D.C.
• Endeavor Air is currently hiring first officers and captains. With bases in Atlanta, Cincinnati, Detroit, Minneapolis and New York, the Delta Air Lines subsidiary flies Bombardier CRJ700 and CRJ900 aircraft under the Delta Connection brand.
• Envoy Air is accepting applications for pilot positions from the general public and through its cadet program. Envoy is a subsidiary of the American Airlines Group and flies as American Eagle. The airline operates Embraer 170 and 175 jets out of its hubs in Chicago, Dallas, Miami and Phoenix.
• GoJet Airlines is currently hiring first officers and captains. It also has a career development program and a transition program for rotor pilots. The regional carrier flies a fleet of Bombardier CRJ550s under the United Express brand out of Chicago, Newark and Washington, D.C.
• Horizon Air is only hiring experienced first officers for its fleet of Embraer 175s at all its bases across the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. Applicants need to have 200 hours of FAA-approved Prior Qualifying Time.
• Mesa Airlines is hiring first officers and captains. The regional carrier flies Bombardier CRJ900s and Embraer 175s for United Express. It has hubs in Cincinnati, Houston and Washington, D.C.
• Piedmont Airlines is hiring first officers and captains and also operates a cadet program. As a wholly owned subsidiary of the American Airlines Group, the carrier flies under the American Eagle Brand. It operates Embraer ERJ-145s with crew bases in Charlotte, Harrisburg and Philadelphia.
• PSA Airlines is accepting applications for first officers and captains. The carrier, which is another American Airlines Group subsidiary, also has a cadet program. From its bases in Charlotte, Dallas, Dayton, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., its pilots fly a fleet of Bombardier CRJ700 and CRJ900 aircraft.
• Republic Airways is hiring first officers and captains. It is only one of two regional carriers that flies for all the “big three” U.S. airlines: American, Delta and United. It has ten bases throughout the Midwest and Northeast and flies Embraer 170s and 175s.
• Silver Airways is seeking both first officers and captains. The airline has pilot bases in Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, San Juan and Tampa and flies a fleet of ATR 42 and ATR 72 turboprops around the southwestern U.S. and the Caribbean.
• SkyWest Airlines is hiring first officers and captains and also has a rotor transition program. SkyWest is the largest regional carrier and flies under five brands: Alaska Airlines, American Eagle, Delta Connection, SkyWest Charters and United Express. It flies a fleet of Bombardier Regional Jets and Embraer E175s from its bases all across the country.

Which U.S. Cargo and Charter Airlines are Hiring Pilots?

Charter and cargo airlines can offer pilots unique opportunities and dynamic schedules and working conditions. While some of these carriers have paused pilots hiring, others are still actively seeking new hires.

• ABX Air is hiring first officers for its fleet of Boeing 767s. It flies the -200 and -300 variants in all-cargo configurations, primarily for DHL.
• Air Transport International is hiring first officers. The cargo carrier’s fleet consists of Boeing 757 and 767 aircraft. It is the largest air carrier in Amazon’s delivery network.
• Amerijet International is hiring first officers, but only through its flight school pathway programs. The cargo airline flies Boeing 767s for DHL, Maersk and under its own brand.
• Atlas Air is accepting applications for new first officers. In addition to providing charter services, the airline has extensive cargo operations. The airline’s fleet of Boeing widebodies and narrowbodies fly under its own brand and for companies like DHL and Amazon.
• Kalitta Air is hiring first officers. The airline currently flies Boeing 747-400F and Boeing 777F aircraft to destinations across the globe.
• Omni Air International is hiring first officers. Omni is a charter airline with Boeing 767s and 777s in both passenger and cargo configurations.

U.S. Airlines Are Hiring Pilots

Although many large airlines in the United States have paused their pilot hiring efforts, there are plenty of companies that are still seeking new pilots. Despite the headlines of a pilot hiring slowdown, there are still many opportunities for aspiring aviators. 

Looking for pilot jobs? FindaPilot.com posts new openings every day. Get a 20 percent discount on any plan. Just use the promo code AG20 when purchasing a plan. You’ll get a 20 percent discount on your first three months as a member.

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AirlineGeeks.com.

The post Which U.S. Airlines Are Hiring Pilots? appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The German manufacturer of the world’s first electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) jet on Monday announced a firm order for 20 aircraft from UrbanLink, a U.S. eVTOL operator formed in March by aviation entrepreneur Ed Wegel, the founder and CEO of charter airline GlobalX.

Notably, the agreement—which includes another 20 purchase options—sets scheduled predelivery payments between the partners. UrbanLink intends to operate the manufacturer’s flagship Lilium Jet out of planned vertiports in South Florida, with the goal of forming a regional air taxi network by 2026.

The initial network will span Miami, West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale, and Marco Island, Lilium says.

The collaboration represents a major boost to Lilium’s efforts to serve the Florida market, which has long been in its crosshairs. UrbanLink claims to be the first airline in the U.S. fully committed to integrating eVTOL aircraft into its fleet, giving the manufacturer a crucial operational partner it previously lacked.

“While many airlines have discussed the potential of operating eVTOL aircraft, none have made a definitive commitment,” said Wegel. “UrbanLink will be the first airline in the U.S. to integrate eVTOL aircraft into its fleet…After thorough evaluation of various manufacturers, we found the Lilium Jet to be the optimal choice for our needs, thanks to its superior cabin design, range, capacity, and cost-effectiveness.”

Fellow eVTOL air taxi manufacturer Archer Aviation has a similar relationship with United Airlines, which in 2022 paid $10 million out of its $1 billion deal for the purchase of up to 100 aircraft. Joby Aviation, which intends to operate its eVTOL itself, received a $60 million equity investment from partner Delta Air Lines, also in 2022.

“This is a huge milestone, not only for Lilium, but for the commercialization of eVTOLs in the U.S.,” said Sebastien Borel, chief commercial officer of Lilium. “We believe that this purchase of eVTOL aircraft is the first by a commercial operator that isn’t invested in the manufacturer that it is purchasing from. This is a sign that the market for eVTOL aircraft has matured, and there is growing demand for aircraft that can provide connections between, rather than just within, cities.”

Wegel—who led FAA certification for two U.S. Part 135 airlines and several U.S. Part 121 carriers, including Eastern Air Lines’ fleet of Boeing 737-800s in just eight months—founded UrbanLink as a standalone venture in March.

The industry veteran envisions Miami, Los Angeles, and San Juan, Puerto Rico, as the company’s early markets. It will then expand internationally beginning with the United Arab Emirates, which is rapidly becoming an eVTOL hot spot.

UrbanLink will provide the aircraft, pilots, and other systems needed to run the airline.

The firm picked the Lilium Jet for its fleet due in part to its quiet operation. The aircraft employs a unique fan-in-wing configuration, with 36 electric ducted fans embedded in its fixed wings. Compared to other eVTOL concepts, the design sacrifices efficiency in hover for a significant reduction in noise and improvement in cruise efficiency, where it will spend up to 95 percent of its time.

Since 2020, Lilium has worked with the city of Orlando and other stakeholders to build a regional air mobility (RAM) ecosystem for its eVTOL jet in Florida. Unlike Archer and Joby, which are focused on shorter urban air mobility (UAM) routes, Lilium expects its aircraft to fly between cities, cruising at 162 knots on trips spanning 25 to 125 sm (22 to 109 nm). That range is another factor that garnered UrbanLink’s interest.

Fractional aircraft ownership company NetJets in 2022 became a Lilium partner, signing a memorandum of understanding to purchase 150 aircraft which it will operate within the Florida network. Vertiports, under development at locations such as Orlando International Airport (KMCO), will function as hubs for the service.

Vertical flight services provider Bristow Group will provide maintenance services across the network, while FlightSafety International has agreed to train an initial group of Florida eVTOL pilots.

However, adding an airline partner makes the company’s plans seem much more feasible.

In addition, the German manufacturer has a partnership with Atlantic Aviation to electrify more than 100 FBO terminals nationwide. The sites—30 of which are within Lilium target markets such as Florida, Texas, and Southern California—will be transformed to accommodate its seven-seat eVTOL jet.

Lilium expects the first piloted Lilium Jet flight test to occur in late 2024, with European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) type certification in 2025. FAA certification, via the Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement between the two regulators, would follow shortly after. Lilium remains the only eVTOL manufacturer with certification bases on both sides of the Atlantic.

UrbanLink expects to begin the FAA certification process in late 2025, with commercial service launching by summer 2026.

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The post Lilium Receives Order for 20 eVTOL Jets, Forms Operational Partnership in U.S. appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Air taxi manufacturer Joby Aviation on Monday signed a definitive agreement with Clay Lacy Aviation—which operates full-service FBOs at Van Nuys Airport (KVNY) in Los Angeles and John Wayne Airport (KSNA) in Orange County, California—to install the first electric charging system in the region.

The installation will be part of Clay Lacy Aviation’s planned $100 million redevelopment of the FBO terminal at John Wayne Airport, also announced Monday.

“Since our founding more than 50 years ago, Clay Lacy [Aviation] has been committed to improving lives for our community, employees, and clients, leading the industry on safety and service while taking action to reduce emissions in both our ground and air operations,” said Scott Cutshall, senior vice president of strategy and sustainability at Clay Lacy Aviation. “We’re excited to be working with Joby to install Southern California’s first air taxi charger, and we look forward to the greater convenience it will bring to the Orange County community.”

Since replacing Atlantic Aviation as a service provider at John Wayne in 2020, Clay Lacy Aviation has operated out of a temporary facility at the airport. Renovations will comprise two phases: a new terminal and a pair of 37,800-square-foot hangars will come online early this year, with two 35,000-square-foot hangars joining them in mid-2025.

The charger being added to the airfield derives from Joby’s Global Electric Aviation Charging System (GEACS), which the manufacturer released at the end of 2023. The GEACS interface is already in use at Joby’s flight test center in Marina, California, as well as Edwards Air Force Base (KEDW) outside Los Angeles. The company in September delivered its first air taxi prototype to Edwards, where it began crewed flight tests the following month.

According to Joby, GEACS is designed to support safe and efficient operations for all electric aircraft under development, including the company’s own design.

“The charging technology we have developed is optimized to support our whole industry, from air taxis delivering short range city flights to more conventional electric aircraft flying longer distances,” said JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO of Joby. “Joby made the specifications for the universal charging interface freely available to the wider industry in November 2023 to help accelerate the transition to clean flight. We’re therefore very pleased to see it being adopted in this key market.”

Joby’s stated goal is to make its service as accessible as possible, using a “safe and ultra-fast” system compatible with any electric aircraft. Accordingly, infrastructure developers and network operators would only need one type of charger to support the entire industry.

Joby’s charger includes multiple DC channels, which can juice up multiple isolated, redundant battery packs at the same time. A coolant system keeps the batteries at an ideal temperature during charging, eliminating the need for onboard thermal management systems.

Notably, the vehicles will communicate with the system directly. Joby will use an Ethernet connection to download flight data alongside normal charging operations, including data on battery charge level and temperature. That means operations won’t be bogged down by ground personnel.

Once complete, GEACS will be published as a freely available interface control specification. But it won’t be the only charging framework out there.

Two rival eVTOL air taxi manufacturers, Archer Aviation and Beta Technologies, partnered to push their own nationwide adoption of Beta’s air taxi chargers, making the announcement within hours of Joby’s. Archer purchased several Beta systems in a show of commitment.

The companies’ alternative pitch is for electric air taxis to adhere to the combined charging system (CCS) standard, which is used by several U.S. electric car manufacturers—with the notable exception of Tesla, the industry leader. Tesla developed its own standard, the North American charging standard (NACS).

The CCS was endorsed by the General Aviation Manufacturers Association in its Interoperability of Electric Charging Infrastructure report released last year. Both Archer and Beta contributed to the recommendation, as did Boeing’s Wisk Aero, Embraer’s Eve Air Mobility, Lilium, Volocopter, and Overair.

Archer and Beta maintain the CCS is the standard to which the top aviation OEMs are designing for. Joby, meanwhile, has claimed other electric aircraft companies will soon announce their decision to use its standard.

Unlike Joby’s system, Beta’s charger includes a separate coolant mechanism. And because the battery packs in Archer’s and Beta’s designs are in one location, the firms have no need to charge multiple packs at once. Joby’s battery packs are spread across the airframe.

Both Joby and Archer and Beta hope the industry will adopt their in-house system, which would foster some level of dependence upon their tech. For what it’s worth, in the automotive space, Tesla’s NACS—the analog to GEACS—won out, and more manufacturers, such as Ford and General Motors, are switching over from CCS.

“Today’s announcement marks a key moment on the path to delivering our air taxi service in the Greater Los Angeles area,” said Bevirt. “We’re taking concrete steps to ensure the right infrastructure is in place to support our future service and we’re grateful to be working with an industry pioneer like Clay Lacy Aviation to lead the way on bringing sustainable aviation to Southern California.”

Joby’s air taxi will fly a pilot and up to four passengers on routes spanning up to 100 sm (81 nm), cruising as fast as 200 mph (174 knots). The home-to-airport shuttle service is expected to produce zero in-flight emissions and a noise footprint “radically lower” than existing helicopters.

The installation at John Wayne adds the airfield as a node in the company’s Southern California network, Joby said. In partnership with Delta Air Lines, the manufacturer also plans to launch service in Los Angeles, as well as New York City and other airports served by Delta. Los Angeles is scheduled to be one of the company’s earliest U.S. launch markets, with commercial service expected in 2025.

Monday’s announcement follows Joby’s watershed flight in New York City in November, during which it became the first company to complete electric air taxi flights in the city. Germany’s Volocopter also participated. The demonstrations came shortly after New York City announced plans to electrify the historic Downtown Manhattan Heliport (JRB).

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