The race to win regional airline pilots continues.
PSA Airlines, a wholly-owned subsidiary of American Airlines, is extending pilot hiring incentives through March 31st. Moreover, premium pay packages will be locked in until 2026, giving pilots a long runway to enjoy the perks of flying with the Bombardier CRJ operator. Let’s find out more about the benefits and why PSA is offering them.
Race to sign pilots
PSA is planning to extend its lucrative incentives until at least March 31st. The carrier is currently offering qualified captains with over 950 hours of experience a $100,000 sign-on bonus and a competitive rate of $146 an hour. Meanwhile, first officers with over 500 hours of flying will bag a $75,000 bonus and be paid $90 an hour (a much higher rate secured as part of a pay deal last year).
Better yet, these rates are now locked in until 2026 (previously ending in 2024), ensuring that pilots can guarantee their income for the next few years at the least. In a statement, Dion Flannery, President and CEO of PSA, said,
“We understand that this is a very competitive landscape. Together with American, we’re investing in our team to provide the best environment for pilots to develop their careers. Building a top team and developing a pipeline of the best aviation talent takes effort and a continuous investment. We’re offering the total package.”
Everyone is in the mix
United’s regional arm, CommuteAir, has been pushing its own sign-on bonuses as well, hoping to lure pilots over with $125,000 for new captains and increasing salaries for existing ones. However, American’s three regional carriers have easily been the most aggressive with hiring, offering $100,000 in bonuses and over 40% more in hourly pay than CommuteAir’s most recent pay deal from last year (although SkyWest is close).
The effects seem to be working as well, as seen by Endeavor Air (a Delta Air Lines subsidiary). Endeavor is offering up to $150,000 in bonuses for Direct-Entry Captains, and a $40,000 training and sign-on bonus for pilots with 500+ hours previous Part 121 time, with $110,000 in retention bonuses paid at the time of Captain upgrade and in the 24 months after upgrade. With lucrative incentives all around, no carrier wants to be seen losing pilots to direct rivals.
However, the biggest incentive to sign and stay at one of the regional carriers serving the big three US airlines is the opportunity to fly for American, United, or Delta in the future. Indeed, these pipelines are important for most looking to make a career in the industry, but these regional operators are also keen to retain senior pilots for their own operations, explaining the targeted bonuses.
Shortage
This competition, in turn, is being fueled by a shortage of regional pilots in the US. Short-haul connections are the backbone of every major carrier in the US, and last year saw flights canceled due to a lack of availability. To continue growing, expect to see the wooing of pilots continue for a long time.
Source: Simple Flying
