It’s time to return to the cockpit

Like many industries, the airlines were hit especially hard by the 2008 recession. The economic uncertainty derailed the careers of many pilots. Fortunately for the industry and the hard-working people who love to fly, many changes have taken place over the last decade.

There’s no better time for pilots to resume their careers at the airlines. The landscape in 2020 is completely different from what pilots might have seen at the height of the Great Recession.

Passenger numbers are up dramatically from where they were a decade ago. For the first nine months of 2019, domestic airlines carried 692 million passengers, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. That number is the highest since traffic was tracked in 2003 and represents a 160 million passenger increase over 2009. After gradual increases from 2009, U.S. airlines have seen increases of nearly 30 million passengers each of the past two years.

The demand for pilots has never been stronger. With the retirement of thousands of Baby Boomer pilots, airlines have plenty of spots to fill. That is great news for pilots who may have left the industry more than a decade ago.

Piedmont Airlines is committed to getting pilots of the “lost generation” back in the cockpit. Our new, flexible cadet program will help pilots who never finished their journey with a financial boost to build hours. We offer fast advancement, and a guaranteed transition to American Airlines in about five years. Get current with a commercial pilot certificate and multi-engine and instrument ratings, a first class medical and 400 hours, and we’ll help you build your hours with $25,500 in bonus money.

Piedmont salaries have risen dramatically to meet our demand. No regional airline pays a better combination of salary, bonuses, travel and benefits. Take care of your family with gold standard health care, too.

It’s time to follow your passion and get back in the cockpit. Ours.