Taylor Rains/Insider
- An ongoing pilot shortage has plagued US airlines since travel came roaring back post-pandemic.
- American Airlines says it is seeing shortfalls on the regional side, forcing it to cut flying to small markets.
- Carriers have used different strategies to attract pilots, like doubling pay and hiring from abroad.
When the pandemic hit in March 2020, countries quickly closed their borders and travel came to a screeching halt.
Carriers were forced to scale back operations, meaning tens of thousands of pilots were furloughed or offered early retirement.