This report encapsulates the analysis and results of the Air Force–Airline Industry Collaboration project, which investigated the viability of options for the Air Force and commercial airlines to collaborate on issues related to their pilot and maintenance workforces by evaluating benefits, costs, and feasibility from the perspectives of both sides.

Can the Air Force and Airlines Collaborate for Mutual Benefit?

An Exploration of Pilot and Maintenance Workforce Options

Anthony D. Rosello, James H. Bigelow, Maya Buenaventura, Christopher M. Carson, Rebecca Herman, Michael McGee, Jaime L. Hastings, Muharrem Mane, Daniel M. Romano, Craig Vara, et al.

ResearchPublished Apr 21, 2016

This report encapsulates the analysis and results of the Air Force–Airline Industry Collaboration project, which investigated the viability of options for the Air Force and commercial airlines to collaborate on issues related to their pilot and maintenance workforces by evaluating benefits, costs, and feasibility from the perspectives of the Air Force and commercial airlines. The report concludes that certain avenues of collaboration, such as scheduling drill weekends in ways that work with airline planning, could benefit both parties.

Key Takeaways

In Many Ways, Airlines and the Air Force Already Complement Each Other

  • Airline hiring will remain strong.
  • Major airlines are not a significant employment draw away from the Air Force for the maintenance workforce.
  • Major airline pay incentivizes Air Force pilots to separate.
  • Air Reserve Component full-time turnover also correlates with major airline hiring.
  • Experienced pilot candidates perform significantly better at undergraduate pilot training.
  • Most major airlines are not interested in collaborating on part-time, sabbatical, or seasoning options.

Recommendations

  • The Air Force should stay engaged with airlines, the FAA, pilot unions, and universities.
  • The Air Force should recruit pilot candidates with airline experience.
  • The Air Force should credit overseas sorties for Air Reserve Component airline pilots.
  • The Air Reserve Component should consider splitting drills between second and third weekends of the month to accommodate airlines' monthly scheduling process.

Topics

Document Details

Citation

Chicago Manual of Style

Rosello, Anthony D., James H. Bigelow, Maya Buenaventura, Christopher M. Carson, Rebecca Herman, Michael McGee, Jaime L. Hastings, Muharrem Mane, Daniel M. Romano, Craig Vara, and William A. Williams, Can the Air Force and Airlines Collaborate for Mutual Benefit? An Exploration of Pilot and Maintenance Workforce Options. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2016. https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR1412.html.
BibTeX RIS

Research conducted by

The research reported here was commissioned by the Headquarters, Air Force Director of Future Operations (AF/A35) and conducted within the Manpower, Personnel, and Training Program of RAND RAND Project AIR FORCE.

This publication is part of the RAND research report series. Research reports present research findings and objective analysis that address the challenges facing the public and private sectors. All RAND research reports undergo rigorous peer review to ensure high standards for research quality and objectivity.

This document and trademark(s) contained herein are protected by law. This representation of RAND intellectual property is provided for noncommercial use only. Unauthorized posting of this publication online is prohibited; linking directly to this product page is encouraged. Permission is required from RAND to reproduce, or reuse in another form, any of its research documents for commercial purposes. For information on reprint and reuse permissions, please visit www.rand.org/pubs/permissions.

RAND is a nonprofit institution that helps improve policy and decisionmaking through research and analysis. RAND's publications do not necessarily reflect the opinions of its research clients and sponsors.