American Airlines eyes 18,000 new hires

American Airlines is looking to hire 18,000 new employees as the travel industry continues to rebound from the pandemic.

CEO Doug Parker stated the plan to make the new hires in written testimony ahead of a hearing he has with lawmakers on Wednesday regarding flight disruptions, CNBC reported. 

“We believe this positive momentum will continue into next year, as we’ve set a target of hiring an additional 18,000 team members in 2022,” Parker said in the testimony. 

“Each time we add to our ranks, it’s like a dividend payment on the investment made in our team through the [payroll support program]; instead of building back from collapse, we’re growing to provide more promising careers in good-paying jobs to hard-working individuals who are the lifeblood of our nation’s economy,” Parker added.

Airlines have been adding employees back in 2021 after mass layoffs occurred in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. American Airlines has hired more than 16,000 employees this year, Parker said, and currently staffs around 130,000 individuals total.

Parker, along with the CEOs of other major U.S. airlines, will testify before The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation on Wednesday regarding flight disruptions the companies have said are the result of staffing shortages and weather conditions, according to CNBC.

In one such instance, American Airlines canceled more than 1,500 flights over Halloween weekend amid inclement weather around its Dallas-Fort Worth hub.