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[ad_1] A pilot performs a walkaround before a United Airlines flight Leslie Josephs/CNBC U.S. passenger airlines have added nearly 194,000 jobs since 2021 as companies went on a hiring spree after spending months in a pandemic slump, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. Now the industry is cooling its hiring. Airlines are close to their staffing needs but the slowdown is also coming in part because they're facing a slew of challenges. A glut of flights in the U.S. has pushed down fares and eaten into airlines' profits . Demand growth has moderated. Airplanes are arriving late from Boeing and Airbus , prompting airlines to rethink their expansions. Engines are in short supply . Some carriers are deferring airplane deliveries altogether. And labor costs have climbed after groups like pilots and mechanics inked new contracts with big raises, their first in years. Annual pay for a three-year first officer on midsized equipment at U.S. airlines averaged $170

[ad_1] Limited Edition holiday breakfast cereal, Christmas Crunch in holiday shapes, Target store, Queens, New York. (Photo by: Lindsey Nicholson/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) Lindsey Nicholson | Getty Images Two big companies weighed in on persistent demand woes this week. General Mills , which reported earnings Wednesday morning, said tepid demand and pricing pressures are compounding problems for the Dunkaroos and Bisquick maker. That echoed what FedEx said in its report after the bell Tuesday. FedEx shares fell 12% on Wednesday, on pace for its worst day in 15 months, while General Mills' stock slipped more than 3%. And, just like FedEx, General Mills trimmed its full-year sales outlook. With two quarters remaining in the Cheerios producer's fiscal year, the company now sees revenue down 1% to flat, compared with previous guidance of a 3% to 4% increase. General Mills is also cutting the high end of its earnings guidance due to the lower demand foreca