Former American CEO Starting Non-Profit to Promote Aviation Careers – AirlineGeeks.com

The airline executive hopes to help ‘underrepresented’ young adults

Former American Airlines Chairman and CEO Doug Parker is starting a non-profit, according to a Linkedin post on Monday. Parker, who served as CEO of America West, US Airways, and then American for 22 years, said the new charity will “remove the barriers that exist for underrepresented young adults to have rewarding careers in aviation, particularly as pilots.”

Parker’s organization will be named Breaking Down Barriers (BDB).

Parker’s post says that he hopes to create additional opportunities for underrepresented individuals across the aviation sector. “We believe BDB can create an enormous opportunity to transform the lives of underrepresented groups and their communities. That is work worth doing,” the post adds.

The former airline leader has appointed Dana Donati as the CEO of BDB. A former Assistant Chief Pilot for Republic Airways, Donati has wide-ranging experiences across the pilot recruitment and training sectors. Most recently, she served as CEO of United’s Aviate Academy.

“Dana is one of the most highly regarded women in commercial aviation, a talented pilot that most recently was CEO of United Aviate Academy. We are beyond fortunate to have Dana to lead this important cause,” Parker said in his Linkedin post.

Managing the Pilot Shortage

With U.S. airlines on track to hire a record number of pilots in 2023, Parker’s announcement adds to a growing list of creative solutions to attract talent in the aviation industry. All three major U.S. airlines have different pathways to becoming a pilot, sometimes starting from the most basic Private Pilots License (PPL).

While not out of the woods yet, the pilot shortage has begun easing a bit, according to AvWeb. Consultancy firm…

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