A new gig working within aviation is on the cards for 18,000 people around the world – with American Airlines gearing up for a major hiring blitz

American Airlines is planning to hire 18,000 workers in 2022, on top of thousands of new employees this year to cater to a rebound in travel.

According to reports, CEO Doug Parker plans to tell lawmakers during a hearing about flight disruptions in recent months that his airline is awaiting an influx of new applicants to fill the new roles.

The chief executives of American Airlines, United Airlines and Southwest Airlines, and Delta Air Lines’ chief of operations, will face questions Wednesday from the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation about mass flight cancellations and staffing struggles despite roughly $54 billion in federal payroll aid doled out to the airline industry to soften the Covid pandemic’s impact.

Just months ago, American and Southwest canceled hundreds of flights during brief periods as they struggled with staffing shortfalls and bad weather.

Both airlines have turned to incentives like extra pay or bonuses to avoid repeats during Thanksgiving, which went smoothly – as well as Christmas and New Year’s holidays which are expected to be busy.

COVID making the aviation sector sick

Airlines during the pandemic urged thousands of workers to voluntarily take buyouts or leaves of absence to help cut their labor bills since the aid package prohibited them from laying off staff.

Now they are scrambling to add workers as travel demand returns, competing in a tight labor market that has impacted retailers, restaurants, hotels and other industries.

American, which has about 130,000 employees including its regional airline subsidiaries, has hired more than 16,000 employees this year including pilots, flight attendants, mechanics and customer service agents, Parker said in written testimony ahead of the hearing.

“We believe this positive momentum will continue into next year, as we’ve set a target of hiring an additional 18,000 team members in 2022,” Parker said in his testimony.

American Airlines is one of hundreds of airlines around the world that have been impacted by COVID.