Two of American Airlines’ Regional Carriers Dramatically Increase Pilot Pay

Two of American Airlines’ subsidiary regional carriers are dramatically increasing their pay for pilots, a reaction to the pilot shortage that has been especially hard on smaller airlines.

Piedmont Airlines and Envoy Air are raising pay for pilots by 50 percent, according to NBC News, as both deal with the loss of an average of 25 pilots a month who are taking jobs with large commercial airlines, like American, to help cover their pilot shortage.

The shortages have resulted in huge flight cancellations from all airlines. In fact, American recently had to park 100 of its regional jets attributing it to a supply and demand imbalance.

Aviation leaders have said the decrease in the number of pilots due to COVID-19 buyouts and early retirement, as well as many who reached mandatory retirement age, could take years to overcome.

Piedmont plans to raise wages for first officers from $51an hour to $90 an hour through August of 2024, while first-year captains will see bumps to $146 an hour from $78 an hour.

“Attrition of the regional pilots, particularly the captains, has really spiked to the point where we’re not able to put our fleet in the air,” Piedmont CEO Eric Morgan told CNBC.

It was Morgan who approached the pilots union with the temporary pay increase separate from normal contract negotiations.

Envoy Air told NBC it would also increase pilot pay around 50 percent through August of 2024.