American Airlines dangles $250,000 bonus to lure pilots from FedEx and UPS to ... trends now
American Airlines is offering whopping bonuses up to $250,000 to attract cargo pilots from UPS and FedEx to work on its passenger planes after its been forced to cancel flights due to staffing shortages.
PSA Airlines, a regional carrier owned by American, is offering a $175,000 bonus included in the first paycheck, with another $75,000 paid after a year to cargo pilots to come work as passenger flight captains, reported The Wall Street Journal.
FedEx and UPS is encouraging their aviators to consider the offer as a decrease in demand and parcel volume is causing the companies to cut their flights.
Described as the 'captain crunch,' passenger airlines have been forced to cancel or delay flights because they do not have the necessary captains and first officers to operate.
'We continue to face a captain shortage that has impacted our ability to fully utilize our regional fleet,' said Heather Garboden, senior vice president of regionals and cargo at American.
PSA Airlines, a regional carrier owned by American, is offering bonuses up to $250,000 to cargo pilots from UPS and FedEx to come operation passenger planes
Last year, American Airlines had to end service to three regional airports due to staffing shortages
In 2023, flight delays reached a decade-high. Data from flight tracking platform FlightAware found that 21.4 percent of flights in the last year have been held up by an average of 50 minutes.
Kathleen Bangs, FlightAware spokeswoman and former airline pilot, told Dailymail.com a shortage of pilots after the pandemic and fewer available flights amid sky-high demand are contributing to the frustrating delays plaguing travelers.
Last year, American Airlines had to end service to three regional airports in Toledo, Ohio; Ithaca, New York and Islip, New York
