Southwest Air Says Pilot ‘Resumé Washing’ Is New Hurdle in Talent War

Pilots from smaller carriers are applying for jobs at Southwest Airlines Co. only to leave months later to work for bigger rivals, the latest salvo in the US aviation industry’s war for talent.

The process, which Southwest Chief Operating Officer Andrew Watterson called “resume washing,” is a way for ambitious pilots to sidestep policies he said large US carriers put in place to protect staffing for their associated regional airlines. Pilots normally take jobs at those smaller airlines to build enough flying hours to apply at bigger ones through agreements between the carriers. But some aviators can see their careers stalled if the larger rivals slow or stem that hiring process.