United offers a training program to address the pilot shortage. Its first graduating class was 80% women or minorities.

In response to the easing of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions and the subsequent increase in travel demand, airlines hired nearly 50,000 employees last year. But the industry is struggling to find enough qualified pilots.

The pilot shortage has prompted United Airlines to take a new approach and organize its own training program for aspiring pilots.

United Airlines launched its Aviate Academy in 2022 to address the shortage and diversify a workforce that is overwhelmingly White and male. The academy’s first graduating class was 80% women or minorities.