Texas Southern University partners with United Airlines to overcome pilot shortage

Three aspiring Texas Southern University students won’t be enough to address a projected nationwide shortage of 120,000 pilots over the next 20 years. But some scholarships from United Airlines will provide a start. The company on Wednesday announced a $100,000 partnership with the historically Black university, providing students in the school’s aviation science and technology program with financial aid and mentoring as they pursue careers in the industry. Three aspiring pilots and two management hopefuls have already been selected to receive the funding, according to the university. The new affiliation marks what leaders at Texas Southern hope will be a long relationship with United Airlines, which has a Houston hub. And maintaining that connection will be even more important as the industry works not just to increase its staffing, but also to improve its diversity, university President Lesia Crumpton-Young said.

“Because we’re committed to transforming lives and addressing national challenges, I want everyone to know that Texas Southern University is prepared in their partnership with United Airlines to fill all 120,000 (positions),” she quipped. “And as I’m frequently told … we will need more airplanes.” Terence Fontaine, a certified pilot and director of TSU’s aviation program, has worked for years to secure funding for the program — which the dean on Wednesday said was “dying” before Fontaine’s involvement. At his urging, the school improved its fleet and now has five planes and two flight simulators for training. “None of this works without having folks that are advocates for the program,” Fontaine said. TSU launched its aviation science management program in 1986 and offers courses on aviation weather, law, history and safety, and air traffic control. The pilot program began four years ago with the goal of building a pipeline that equips students with either a multi-engine commercial pilot license or a certified flight instructor license, allowing them to move directly to careers at airlines.