There are still some 70 seat jets left, but those will be retired as soon as new owners are found. In recent times, the decision was made to consolidate the airline's flying only on Q400 turboprop aircraft. There was a short stint flying for Frontier out of Denver, but that didn't last. (Free microbrews!) Though Horizon is owned along with Alaska Airlines by Alaska Air Group, the airline has been run on its own.įor most of the last few decades, Horizon has only flown under Alaska Airlines' wing. You get a Horizon inflight magazine, and you even get differentiated service. When you fly Horizon, you see the name painted on the airplane. The airline is one of the few regional providers that has kept its name front and center over the last couple of decades. Regional consolidation has been heating up, so now we can throw another potential target into the ring. Alaska and Horizon say they'll need 2,000 new pilots by 2025.Horizon Air announced a fairly large shift in its business model this month, and it could be a sign that owner Alaska Air Group (ALK) is looking to sell the airline. Horizon is particularly hit hard: In May, the airline will fly 28.4% less capacity than it did in May 2021, according to Cirium schedules data. More: United Airlines officially opens its new flight school as it tries to tackle pilot shortageĪlaska and Horizon hope to train 250 students a year through Ascend Pilot Academy, with classes of 20 to 30 students starting monthly, possibly as soon as April, Zendejas said.Īlaska and Horizon hope that graduates from the program will help the airlines combat the pilot shortage that is significantly impacting the industry.
Zendejas noted that Alaska and Horizon have pushed the federal government to allow for federal student loans to be used for flight training costs. As is typical with these programs, low-interest loans will be available to students to help them finance the costs of their flight training. Other programs can cost upwards of $100,000. The program is also less expensive than some other programs, with estimated training costs somewhere between $65,000 and $80,000, before the stipend. Hillsboro was an attractive partner because of its location near the Alaska's hub at Portland International Airport (PDX) and its ability to train students from day one to Horizon's standards, Zendejas said. Other airlines, including Spirit Airlines, Frontier Airlines and Avelo Airlines, partner with flight-training giant ATP Flight School to offer a similar experience. United Airlines owns and operates the United Aviate Academy near Phoenix, while regional Republic Airways owns and operates the LIFT Academy. More: How a pilot shortage could leave travelers with higher fares and fewer optionsĪlaska and Horizon are just the latest airlines to focus on recruiting and training pilots with no experience. The Points Guy will not share or sell your email. I would like to subscribe to The Points Guy newsletters and special email promotions. Zendejas noted that the majority of Horizon pilots who interview for pilot jobs at Alaska are successful. To get hired at Alaska Airlines, Ascend Pilot Academy graduates who reach Horizon's flight decks must apply for quarterly openings with the airline's pathway program and go through an interview process. Once obtaining the required 1,500 flight hours, students are placed in a new-hire class at Horizon. After graduating from the program with a commercial license, students can become flight instructors at Hillsboro to earn the hours required to obtain the airline transport pilot certificate needed to fly for Horizon. Students will earn their ratings from private pilot up to commercial pilot and will receive a $25,000 stipend to pay for the commercial license. Students accepted into Ascend Pilot Academy will also receive a contingent job offer to become first officers at Horizon, which operates the Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 and the Embraer 175.
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Want more airline-specific news? Sign up for TPG's free new biweekly Aviation newsletter! "'How do you get started?' seems to be a bit of a barrier." "We're hoping to reach the population that might think flying is not for them," Carlos Zendejas, Horizon's vice president of flight operations, said in an interview with TPG. The program, announced on Wednesday, focuses on students with little to no flying time, who might not be considering a career in aviation. Becoming a pilot for Alaska Airlines and the regional airline it owns just got easier, even for those with no flight experience.įacing a pilot shortage, Alaska and its regional airline, Horizon Air, are launching the Ascend Pilot Academy in partnership with the Hillsboro Aero Academy in Oregon.
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