will postpone a training class for new pilot recruits due to the impact the coronavirus has had on the airline industry., part of an effort to recruit pilots in light of an expected pilot shortage.
Airlines, including United, have been forced to significantly cut back on capacity, suspending a variety of international flights and forecasting possible reductions to domestic schedules, as the virus continues to spread rapidly across the globe. As airlines have seen demand for domestic travel drop — partly as passengers become concerned about exposure to the virus on airplanes and in airports, rather than just from traveling to hotspots — several airlines have begun offering waivers of change and cancellation fees on any flight, in an effort to convince nervous customers to book travel.
The specter of a worldwide shortage of trained and qualified commercial pilots has loomed in recent years, with a large contingent of pilots — many of whom began flying in the military — near retirement age.