Spirit Airlines has announced a partnership with Liberty University to address the shortage of pilots in the aviation industry. Liberty University’s School of Aeronautics in Virginia will allow students pursuing aviation degrees to apply for Spirit’s pipeline program after completing their sophomore year. The program offers conditional job offers to students as they finish their studies and accumulate flight hours, with the goal of becoming first officers. This collaboration is part of Spirit Airlines’ efforts, along with other carriers like JetBlue and United Airlines, to increase the supply of new pilots in response to retirements and buyouts during the pandemic as well as U.S. regulations on flight training hours.