United plans to hit 15,000 new hires this year, adding to surge in airline jobs

DALLAS (AP) — Airlines expecting a hectic summer travel season are planning to hire thousands of new workers this year, lifting a job market that has been hit by layoffs in technology and turmoil in the banking industry. 

United Airlines said Wednesday that it hired 7,000 new workers in the first four months of this year and plans to hit 15,000 new hires by year-end, matching the number it hired last year. 

By 2026, United projects adding 50,000 workers to a workforce that was about 93,000 at the start of this year. 

“We are in hiring mode here at United Airlines,” Kate Gebo, the company's executive vice president of human resources, told reporters. Airline officials said they already have enough pilots to operate the peak summer schedule.