BTS 2007 Statistics Released This Week

May 29, 2008
U.S. scheduled passenger airlines employed 4 percent fewer pilots and 32 percent fewer maintenance workers in 2007 than in 2000, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) reported. Here are some of the numbers: • The seven large network carriers employed 29.9 percent fewer pilots and 42.6 percent fewer maintenance workers in 2007 than in 2000. • The six low-cost carriers now operating employed 24.2 percent more pilots and 2.1 percent more maintenance workers from 2000 to 2007. • Northwest Airlines had the largest reduction in maintenance workers of any network airline from 2000 to 2007. • Alaska and Continental Airlines were the only network carriers to add maintenance employees during 2000 to 2007. • JetBlue also had the largest increase in maintenance workers of any low-cost airline from 2000 to 2007 while Spirit Airlines had the only reduction. • Spending by network airlines for outsourced maintenance increased from 29.6 percent of total maintenance spending in 2000 to 45.3 percent in 2007. • Northwest’s spending for outsourcing increased from 23.8 percent of total spending in 2000 to 71.0 percent in 2007. • Allegiant had 3.1 maintenance workers per aircraft in 2007 the fewest of any low-cost airline. • Frontier had 7.7 maintenance workers per aircraft in 2007, the most of any low-cost airline but down from 12.8 employees per aircraft in 2000. Frontier’s spending for outsourcing increased from 16.6 percent of total maintenance spending in 2000 to 20.5 percent in 2007. With the decline in numbers what changes have you experienced over the last several years? How have work practices changed? For the full release: BTS Releases 2007 Passenger Airline Employment by Job Category http://www.dot.gov/affairs/bts2608.htm Thanks for reading. Barb Zuehlke, Managing Editor