Originally Posted by
EAJuggalo
I've read many places that the issue right now is pilots. How many pilots does AS have that need to get re-certified before they can fly again? From what I've read it's much easier to get a plane that's been parked for 15 months ready to fly again than it is to get a pilot who hasn't flown for 15 months re-certified by the FAA.
I'd guess that the airlines are using about 70% of their pre-covid fleet.
Alaska had
137 pilots retire (with some incentives) to avoid layoffs, and had over 900 take extended leave. It's not clear how many are back yet, though a little google might be able to find that.
But all the airlines are probably deliberately avoiding bringing capacity back online quickly, both to avoid having to shut it down again if there's a sudden change and to keep the ability to charge high prices for seats.