Wheels Up laid off 11% of its pilots on June 25, citing a “staffing imbalance” caused by “a sharp decline in our pilot attrition rates in the first half."
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Wheels Up laid off 11% of its pilots today, citing a “staffing imbalance” caused by “a sharp decline in our pilot attrition rates in the first half due in part to a reduction of pilot hiring at the airlines and pilots choosing to stay at Wheels Up.” Layoffs were reportedly concentrated to King Air flight crewmembers and pared its estimated pilot ranks from 950 to 850.
“Aligning our pilot organization with the size of our fleet is critical to the success and health of our business, and the abnormalities in the industry over these last few months made appropriate staffing forecasting against regular attrition challenging,” Wheels Up said in a statement. “As we navigate through this difficult period of change, we want to once again acknowledge the pivotal roles that all of our team members play in ensuring our operation reflects the high standards we have set for ourselves, our members, and our customers.”
This marks the first time the company, which is majority owned by a consortium led by Delta Air Lines, has laid off pilots. In March 2023, a $30 million restructuring resulted in reduced headcount of non-operational staff and specifically excluded “pilots, maintenance, and operations-support personnel.”
Wheels Up reported a $487 million loss last year, and a $97 million shortfall in the first quarter. In April, the company consolidated maintenance facilities, closing its repair bases in Broomfield, Colorado, and Cincinnati.
Wheels Up laid off 11% of its pilots yesterday, citing a “staffing imbalance” caused by “a sharp decline in our pilot attrition rates in the first half due in part to a reduction of pilot hiring at the airlines and pilots choosing to stay at Wheels Up.” Layoffs were reportedly concentrated but not limited to King Air flight crewmembers and pared its estimated pilot ranks from 950 to 850.
“Aligning our pilot organization with the size of our fleet is critical to the success and health of our business, and the abnormalities in the industry over these last few months made appropriate staffing forecasting against regular attrition challenging,” Wheels Up said in a statement. “As we navigate through this difficult period of change, we want to once again acknowledge the pivotal roles that all of our team members play in ensuring our operation reflects the high standards we have set for ourselves, our members, and our customers.”
This marks the first time the company, which is majority owned by a consortium led by Delta Air Lines, has laid off pilots. In March 2023, a $30 million restructuring resulted in reduced headcount of non-operational staff and specifically excluded “pilots, maintenance, and operations-support personnel.”