Piedmont Airlines, ALPA ratify contract with industry-defining pay, benefits

Company builds for the future, sets sights on regional competitors

 (SALISBURY, Maryland) Piedmont pilots woke up Saturday to industry leading pay and benefits they didn’t know were coming. A deal reached Friday evening between Piedmont and the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) increased 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:

  • A commitment to a five-year flow to American. Pilots who do not flow after completing five full years of service will move to top of scale Captain pay ($213 per hour)
  • Compensation for First Officers to get paid on the Captain scale at 750 flight hours
  • Increase in per diem to $1.90
  • Increased Line Check Airman premium pay – up 100%
  • 12 days off per month on a majority of hard lines, additional holidays
  • New work rules including 12- hour, long call reserve

“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 virtual Pilot information sessions on June 14 and June 21 and you can learn more here.

Potential candidates can also talk to a recruiter at FlyPiedmont@aa.com.

Pilots can apply to Piedmont at AirlineApps.com.

Learn more about Piedmont First Officers, Direct Entry Captains and Cadets.

Watch: Your path to American Airlines begins at Piedmont

About Piedmont Airlines

Piedmont Airlines, Inc. is a premier East Coast regional carrier of American Airlines, providing service both on the ground and in the air across the United States. Every day, nearly 9,800 aviation professionals foster a mission of caring, compliance and communication on and off the airfield.  Piedmont is headquartered in Salisbury, Maryland, and operates a fleet of Embraer 145 regional jets. Piedmont Airlines’ ground handling team can be found in more than 80 airports across the United States, providing award winning ground service to passengers of American Airlines. Learn more about what’s happening at Piedmont by visiting https://piedmont-airlines.com/and connect with Piedmont on Twitter @piedmontair and at  Facebook.com/workforpiedmont/.