Sun Country Airlines has announced a significant reduction in its flight schedule for September, citing staffing issues as a primary driver. The Minnesota-based carrier will remove approximately 348 departures from its schedule, impacting routes to destinations like Cancún, San Juan, and several U.S. cities. Flights on routes to Los Angeles, Orlando, San Francisco, and Chicago O’Hare will also see considerable scalebacks.
Allegiant CEO Greg Anderson, whose company acquired Sun Country earlier this year, attributed the cuts to "higher-than-expected front-line crew attrition combined with increased cargo flying" in an internal memo. While the reductions are currently limited to September, the airline stated the changes also reflect seasonal demand and a company program that shifts experienced pilots into instructor roles.
These adjustments by Sun Country underscore a broader challenge facing the aviation industry: a growing gap between the demand for pilots and the available supply. Experts predict the pilot shortfall will peak this year, with an estimated deficit of 24,000 pilots. This shortage is attributed to a confluence of factors, including mandatory retirements, a surge in air travel demand, and pandemic-related disruptions to pilot training programs.
As a result, airlines are increasingly canceling routes and grounding aircraft, while pilots are experiencing substantial salary growth. The median U.S. airline pilot salary has risen from $127,820 in 2016 to an estimated $226,600 in 2024, a 77% increase. Senior captains at major airlines can now earn upwards of $700,000 annually.
Despite the financial incentives, significant barriers remain for aspiring pilots. The requirement to accumulate 1,500 flight hours, which typically takes two to three years and costs between $70,000 and $110,000, deters many. Simultaneously, a large cohort of experienced pilots is reaching the mandatory retirement age of 65, exacerbating the exodus of seasoned professionals.
This dual pressure of fewer new pilots entering the workforce and a steady stream of experienced pilots retiring is projected to continue well into the decade. Consulting firm Oliver Wyman estimates the industry could still be short around 17,000 pilots by 2032. Smaller and regional carriers are disproportionately affected, as major airlines often lure experienced captains away with higher pay and faster career progression. This dynamic frequently leads to schedule reductions being most visible among smaller carriers, even when larger airlines appear to maintain full operations.
The pilot shortage is not unique to North America and has global implications. While North America faces challenges from both retirements and growth, the Asia-Pacific region is experiencing the largest demand for new pilots due to rapid commercial aviation expansion. Beyond pilots, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is also grappling with a shortage of air traffic controllers, further complicating the aviation landscape. Controllers face a mandatory retirement age of 56, nearly a decade earlier than pilots, a rule unchanged since 1971 despite a lack of scientific evidence linking age to performance errors.