Freight Hauler Looking Ahead To The Busy Holiday Season

Pilot approaching retirement age at FedEx have been offered bonuses ranging from $40,000 to $110,000 to keep flying through the busy holiday season.

Reuters reports that the bonuses, which were previously unreported, are part of the latest pilot contract with the company. They reflect the coming wave of pilot retirements and the global pilot shortage, along with a surge of demand created by increases in online shopping.

FedEx spokeswoman Bonny Harrison would not comment on pilot pay or the bonuses. She said that the company is "well staffed with pilots at this time, however we are always looking to the future." She pointed to details of the company's recruitment campaign that it launched publicly in April. There are about 5,000 pilots on the payroll, she said.

According to two senior FedEx managers familiar with the strategy, the carrier offered the cash bonuses to retiring pilots in an effort to keep them on through the holiday shopping season that runs from Thanksgiving through the end of the year.

FedEx anticipates losing between 150 and 200 pilots due to retirement this year, and around the same number each year for the foreseeable future. The federally-mandated retirement age for airline pilots is 65.

(Image from file)

FMI: Source report