United just purchased 25 new Cirrus aircraft to power its pilot training academy as it battles the pilot shortage — see the TRAC SR20

United's Aviate Academy is getting 25 new Cirrus TRAC SR20 planes that feature the company's innovative parachute system and a unique observer seat.

• United Airlines just purchased 25 Cirrus TRAC SR20 planes for its Aviate Academy built to tackle the pilot shortage.
• The training program is a pipeline to United's cockpit and costs aspiring aviators about $71,000.
• The Cirrus SR20 is a modern plane that is engineered with systems that better prepare pilots for mainline aircraft.

After two tumultuous years of lockdowns and travel restrictions, the airline industry is on a strong path to recovery. However, with demand spiking, carriers are facing an old threat that was overshadowed by the pandemic — the pilot shortage.

US airlines are combating the pilot shortage by raising pay, lowering requirements, and hiring from Australia

Before COVID-19, the lack of flight crews was a looming problem. According to a study done by consulting firm Oliver Wyman, 62% of flight operation leaders said in 2019 that their company risked a "shortage of qualified pilots."

Source: Oliver Wyman, United will stop flying to 11 US cities indefinitely — see the full list

In the US, airlines are struggling to hire flight crews due to several reasons, like the cost of training and fewer pilots leaving the military.

Source: Oliver Wyman

Moreover, the federal government forces airline pilots to retire at 65. So, the age requirement coupled with the number of early retirements taken during the pandemic has left a hole in America's workforce.

Source: Oliver Wyman

Oliver Wyman predicts the pilot shortage will have an impact on the global industry starting in 2022. Specifically, the agency says there will be about 10,000 fewer pilots available than needed this year, and a 60,000 gap between pilot supply and demand by 2029.

Source: Oliver Wyman

One way airlines are battling the shortage is by creating programs that give future aviators a "flow" to mainline carriers. One noteworthy pipeline is United Airlines' Aviate Academy at Goodyear Airport in Phoenix, Arizona.

Source: United Airlines

The company officially opened its facility in January 2022, welcoming students to participate in the US' only ab-initio flight academy, meaning it is the first and only carrier in the country to train pilots with no previous flying experience.

Source: United Airlines

The year-long program, which is the most direct path to the United cockpit, will provide prospective pilots with their initial flight training. The program costs $71,250 with scholarship options available.

Source: CNN

"This is the model really about creating that economic opportunity to let people come in who don't have $100,000 to spend on their certification, but have great potential, great ability — to let them get through the whole process of becoming a commercial airline pilot," United CEO Scott Kirby told CNN.

Source: CNN

The airline plans to hire 10,000 new pilots over the next decade, and expects 5,000 to come from Aviate. United's goal is to have half of its academy participants be women or people of color.

Source: CNN

For training, Aviate uses specially tailored Cirrus TRAC SR20 single-engine aircraft that was purpose-built for flight instruction.

Source: United Airlines, Cirrus Aircraft

The TRAC Series takes the capabilities and flight characteristics of the popular SR20 general aviation plane and adds advanced technologies that are standard on modern airliners.

Source: United Airlines, Cirrus Aircraft

Specifically, the aircraft features the Garmin Perspective+ navigation system with two large flight displays...

Source: United Airlines, Cirrus Aircraft

…engine indication and crew warning systems…

Source: United Airlines, Cirrus Aircraft

…USB power…

Source: United Airlines, Cirrus Aircraft

...a flight management system with a QWERTY keyboard…

Source: United Airlines, Cirrus Aircraft

...and Cirrus' parachute system, making it "one of the safest and most versatile training airplanes available today," according to the company.

Source: United Airlines, Cirrus Aircraft

Also onboard is the Cirrus IQ system that connects the plane to a mobile device in real-time. The company is using this technology to create a digital fleet management software that will give Aviate a "deeper insight into their flight data for safety and operational efficiency."

Source: United Airlines, Cirrus Aircraft

According to Cirrus vice president of fleet and special mission sales David Moser, the aircraft is a good option for students who are training for the purpose of becoming a professional pilot.

Source: United Airlines, Cirrus Aircraft

"The Cirrus can take the student further, faster," he told Insider. "Because of the systems on this plane, you're able to take the training much further than in a more simple airplane."

Source: United Airlines, Cirrus Aircraft

Moser noted that the TRAC SR20 is designed with a more robust interior that is designed to last.

Source: United Airlines, Cirrus Aircraft

"Everything you touch from the seating material to the material used on the yolk and throttle is all designed to hold up through lots of flights in a very high-utilization environment," he said.

Source: United Airlines, Cirrus Aircraft

Moreover, the cabin is configured to hold five passengers rather than the standard four that is common on legacy trainers like Piper and Cessna.

Source: United Airlines, Cirrus Aircraft

Instead of two seats directly behind the pilot control seats, there is a row of three and the middle seat is ideal for "gemini training," Moser explained.

Source: United Airlines, Cirrus Aircraft

Gemini training is when instructors teach students in pairs where one is flying the plane and the other is sitting in the back observing. The middle seat gives the second student a good view of what is going on in the cockpit.

Source: United Airlines, Cirrus Aircraft

The interior has also been improved with communication capabilities in the cabin, which is rare for light general aviation planes.

Source: United Airlines, Cirrus Aircraft

"If the observer student is to operate as part of the air crew, they can be given radio responsibilities with push to talk and the ability to communicate with air traffic control from the backseat position," Moser explained.

Source: United Airlines, Cirrus Aircraft

Since the opening of Aviate, United has purchased 25 Cirrus TRAC SR20 planes for the academy, with the option to acquire 50 more. The airline currently uses the fleet of Cirrus planes it acquired from Lufthansa when it took over the facility from the German-based carrier.

Source: United Airlines, Cirrus Aircraft

The first new aircraft will be delivered in May and United has the potential to own 100 Cirrus aircraft by the end of 2024, according to Moser.

Source: United Airlines, Cirrus Aircraft

Aviate is part of a greater trend of airlines taking more direct control of their pilot pipeline, Moser told Insider.

Source: United Airlines, Cirrus Aircraft

"Major airlines standing up their own academies has almost been unheard of," he explained. "United is the first major US airline to operate an ab-initio pilot academy, and I think we'll see more of that."

Source: United Airlines, Cirrus Aircraft

"I also think the airlines are seeing the connection between Cirrus aircraft and the type of flying their cadets will be doing in the future," he continued.

Source: United Airlines, Cirrus Aircraft

United's Cirrus order comes two months after Kirby testified in front of Congress about the pilot shortage, saying the company had to ground 100 regional aircraft due to lack of flight crews.

Source: CNN, United Airlines CEO says 100 of its regional jets are grounded because of a pilot shortage

"The pilot shortage is real, but it's really real at the regional airlines," Kirby told CNN in January. "If it's a crisis, it's a crisis for small communities."

Source: CNN, A small US city is paying American Airlines up to $4 million to keep flying there as tiny communities continue to feel the impact of the pandemic