It launched called a flight school United Aviate Academy with the aim of training 5,000 pilots by 2030. Half of them will be women and people of color.
“I’ve had the pleasure of flying the Boeing 737, the Boeing 777 and now the Boeing 787,” said Gabrielle Harding, United Airlines pilot.
Growing up in Detroit, Harding said she had access to programs that sparked an interest in flying, but she says many minorities just don’t interact with aviation.
“The fact that United has decided to reach out and diversify the cockpit more is great considering the cities in which United operates,” said Harding. “They are cosmopolitan, diverse urban cities.”
“It was in my blood, there was never a moment when I didn’t think I was going to be a pilot,” said Kevin Mack.
Mack was a regional pilot for Delta Airlines for five years, but switched.
“This was the post-September 11 environment where airlines left and right went bankrupt and they all shrank and fired people,” Mack said.
Mack said this United recruitment effort comes at a different transition time for the aviation industry as a large number of pilots are retiring.
That’s why United said it plans to break down barriers and give more aspiring pilots a more direct path to jobs.
Applications are now being accepted on the United Aviate Academy website.
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