CHICAGO (Reuters) - United Airlines will hire fewer-than-expected employees this year due to delays in aircraft deliveries from Boeing ( BA ), a company executive said on Tuesday.

Kate Gebo, head of United's human resources and labor relations, told reporters the airline currently expects to hire close to 10,000 new employees in 2024 compared with 13,000 to 15,000 employees planned earlier.

Since January, the company has added 4,000 new team members including more than 800 pilots and more than 600 flight attendants, Gebo said.

"Our hiring efforts are directly tied to the orders and the growth of our operation," Gebo added.

The company hired 16,000 new employees in 2023.

United, a prominent customer of Boeing ( BA ), has been hit by the planemaker's safety crisis. Boeing's ( BA ) troubles have forced it to scale down its total aircraft delivery estimates for this year by 25% to 66 jets.

The aircraft delays have reduced United's aircraft utilization, leaving the airline overstaffed. United had paused pilot hiring and offered voluntary unpaid leave to its pilots to deal with excess staffing.

It, however, has resumed pilot hiring, the company said on Tuesday.