Mesa Airlines has announced it has purchased 29 Pipistrel Alpha Trainer 2 Aircraft which will form the backbone of a new Mesa Pilot Development Program (MPD), a major initiative to close the pilot shortage gap that has been affecting the industry over the last several years.
The aircraft will go into operation in Inverness, Florida in October 2022, with expansion to Arizona over the next year. The fleet will have capacity of 2,000 daily flying time, and will accommodate more than 1,000 pilots a year.
According to federal statistics, the airline and commercial industry needs 14,500 new pilots, however, at present annual production it is only meeting 44% of the need.
Jonathan Ornstein, Chairman and CEO of Mesa said, “The pilot shortage could become a permanent feature of the airline industry if we don’t get more aviators into the system,” said Ornstein. “It is basic math. If there aren’t enough trained pilots, customers suffer from loss of service and high-ticket prices.”
“Our program will be the most cost effective and one of the fastest routes to a long-term career as a professional pilot,” said John Hornibrook, SVP Flight Operations. “We want to make it as easy as possible for a whole new field of candidates to join Mesa, including and especially people who might not have traditionally considered aviation.”
