Piedmont pilots must be pretty excited now ! A deal has been cracked Friday evening between Piedmont and the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), that will increase the first year Captain pay from $78 per hour to $146 per hour and first year, first officer pay from $51 per hour to $90 per hour.
The increase comes outside of the contract amendable date and includes a contract extension from 2024 to 2029.
“Piedmont has made significant investments in recent years to recruit and train the best pilots in the industry, including the bonuses we’ve previously announced,” said Eric Morgan, CEO and President.
“We want to grow this airline and we need pilots to do that. This deal will attract new first officers and the experienced captains we need for future opportunities, while also taking really good care of the pilots already flying for Piedmont.”
Voting members of ALPA’s Master Executive Council (MEC) unanimously agreed to accept the contract extension, which places pilots well above their regional peers in both pay and benefits.
“We are grateful for a partnership with ALPA that allows us to strategically position Piedmont as the leading American Eagle carrier not just in performance and reliability but now, compensation,” said Steve Keefer, Vice President Flight Operations.
“We want to be the East Coast carrier that outperforms and out pays everyone else, and we want our competition to take notice.”
Piedmont pilot wages will be 50-70% higher (57% on average) than the next highest paid regional carrier, Endeavor. Including all bonuses, a new hire pilot should expect to make 31% more than pilots at Endeavor and 10% more than pilots at leading Ultra Low-Cost Carriers (ULCCs) over the first five years.
Piedmont expects to hire more than 400 pilots in 2022, with emphasis on experienced captains who can train directly into the left seat. Additional contract modifications now allow pilots from other airlines to credit their longevity toward increased pay at Piedmont. “Pilots with captain experience can come to Piedmont and expect to make upwards of $150 an hour immediately,” added Keefer.
Other recent contract changes include :
“The race for pilots is not going to end any time soon,” said Morgan. “We rely heavily on our cadet program to grow new pilots, and now we have another tool to stabilize and grow our pool of really talented aviators."
"Piedmont has been a leader in safety and reliability throughout the pandemic; the significant investment we are making in our pilots is foundational to creating job opportunities for all of our Piedmont team members."
" With more pilots we can get more of our aircraft back in the air. That benefits the communities we serve and all of our team members.”
Piedmont will begin holding information sessions to explain the changes to pilots and potential applicants to Piedmont . Information can be found at Piedmont-Airlines.com or talk to a recruiter at FlyPiedmont@aa.com.
Source : Piedmont Airlines.
