Airlines Fight Increased Pilot Demand With Bonuses and Better Pay

Airline hopefuls and captains-in-waiting have some good news, as the long prophesied pilot shortage may actually be upon us.

The lingering effects of the post-9/11 slump, retiring baby boomer generation pilots, and a cluster of pandemic-induced early retirements have come together to make qualified, experienced aviators capable of carrier service a precious commodity. So precious, in fact, that regional carriers, once stereotyped as the begrudging employers of low-time pilots passing through on their way to the majors, are offering pay boosts and bonuses to retain their pilots as long as they can. 

David Neeleman's Breeze Airways has already raised its pay scale after only 7 months of initial operation, boosting first officer pay on the Embraer E190 by 11% to $61 per flight hour. Those lucky enough to upgrade to the A220 (although some in the ERJ's have said the improvement is debatable) got a 24% increase to $68 per flight hour. Breeze seems happy to reconsider some of the common assumptions about pay, even initiating a program that will see pilots flying the smaller, traditionally lower-paying jets receiving a pay boost in line with seniority, with each A220 pilot hired on also bringing the highest Embraer equivalent to the same base pay. The change is hoped to stem the usual habit of continuous upgrades for pilots always looking for better pay, allowing the company to retain experienced ERJ pilots where they're needed most: in the cockpit. 

Despite the high-minded pay improvements, the company still lags behind similar low-cost carriers. Breeze recently began to rankle ALPA, however, by taking a page from the tech industry and importing foreign pilots to come over on E3 visas. Breeze began listing jobs abroad in Australia in the hopes that enough 2-year commitments could make their way over. The visa program is just as polarizing in aviation as it is elsewhere, as workers see the move as a threat that undercuts pay for domestic pilots. In the worst case, importation of replacements can extend in perpetuity, if the visa is continually renewed. The company isn't the first to utilize the program, as they echo the actions of CommutAir and forgotten, defunct regionals from ages past. 

Similar increases in charter and fractional operations have been seen, as formerly comfortable flight departments found their qualified personnel leaving for greener pastures. Missouri's GoJet Airlines is now even offering bonuses to new-hire first officers, while direct-entry captains net $40,000. Delta made some waves with its recent acceptance of pilot candidates without a 4-year Bachelor's degree, formerly a must for serious consideration. 

FMI:www.flybreeze.com, www.gojetairlines.com