Fractional Pilot Hiring on the Increase

The four largest fractional operators–NetJets, Flight Options, Flexjet and CitationShares–hired 11 pilots in March, compared with none during the same month last year, according to figures compiled by AIR Inc. of Atlanta. The March figure brings to 56 the number of fractional pilots hired in the first quarter, versus 47 in the same period last year. For all of 2003, AIR reports these fractional operators hired just 198 pilots, compared with 997 in 2002.