United Airlines tells staff it is hiring hundreds of pilots next month as the carrier plans to resume travel

United Airlines told staff on Thursday that it would soon begin hiring hundreds of pilots – a process the airline was forced to stop when the coronavirus pandemic devastated travel demand last year, according to a letter. Internal electronics reviewed by CNBC.

The Chicago-based airline is the first of major U.S. airlines to announce it will resume hiring pilots, the latest sign it is preparing for a recovery. Over the past year, airlines, including United, have urged thousands of workers to agree to buyouts, early retirement packages and time off as they rush to cut costs during the pandemic.

U.S. airlines lost $ 35 billion last year, but expect a steady increase in bookings as more of the public are vaccinated and feel more comfortable getting on planes.

“With increasing vaccination rates and the trend in travel demand on the rise, I am delighted to announce that United will resume the driver recruitment process which was interrupted last year,” wrote Bryan Quigley , United’s senior vice president of flight operations, in a staff memo Thursday that was seen by CNBC. “We’re going to start with the 300 or so pilots who had a new hiring class date that was canceled, or who had a conditional job offer for 2020.”

This is the latest news. Check back for updates.