Ups pilot salary: United Parcel Service | AirlinePilotCentral.com

United Parcel Service Pilot Pay

Pilot pay at

United Parcel Service ranges from $37,917.72 per year for a new first officer up to $254,343.24 per year for a senior captain.

Captain Pay Rates (yearly)

Year	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
Boeing 747	$37,917. 72	$233,007.84	$233,474.40	$234,417.24	$235,340.64	$236,283.48	View More

Captain Pay Rates (hourly)

Year	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
Boeing 747	$39. 01	$239.72	$240.20	$241.17	$242.12	$243.09	View More

First Officer Pay Rates (yearly)

Year	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
Boeing 747	$37,917. 72	$144,633.60	$144,828.00	$147,734.28	$150,689.16	$153,692.64	View More

First Officer Pay Rates (hourly)

Year	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
Boeing 747	$39. 01	$148.80	$149.00	$151.99	$155.03	$158.12	View More

Select Other AirlineABX AirAir CanadaAir Transport InternationalAir Wisconsin AirlinesAlaska AirlinesAllegiant AirAmerican AirlinesAmeriflightAmerijetAmeriStarAtlas AirAvelo AirCape AirCathay PacificCommutAirDelta Air LinesEmpire AirlinesEndeavor AirEnvoy AirFederal ExpressFrontier AirlinesGoJet AirlinesGreat Lakes AirlinesHawaiian AirlinesHorizon AirjetBlueKalitta AirKalitta ChartersLion AirMesa AirlinesMiami Air InternationalNetJetsNorthern Air CargoOmni Air InternationalPiedmont AirlinesPSA AirlinesQatar AirwaysRepublic AirwaysScenic AirlinesSilver AirwaysSkyLease CargoSkyWest AirlinesSouthwest AirlinesSpirit AirlinesSun CountryTMC jetUnited AirlinesUnited Parcel ServiceUSA Jet Airlines

UPS Pilot Hiring Requirements | Everything You Need to Know

If you plan to apply for job openings at UPS Airlines, you should first familiarize yourself with UPS’s hiring requirements and pay so you can maximize your airline career. Skills, experience, and hours logged impact wages for both captain and first officer positions. Therefore, it is wise to always compare entry level pilot salary to the average. This gives you a better idea of the rewards and opportunities provided through UPS Airlines careers. How much do pilots earn is usually the first question applicants ask, but these jobs offer benefits beyond the pay. This is why you need to research everything from hiring requirements to income to other job perks, such as insurance, PTO, jumpseats, etc. UPS’s hiring program covers the entire fleet. Pay scale is determined by your experience and qualifications.

Type of airline: U.S. Cargo

Headquarters: Louisville, Kentucky

Hubs: Main: Louisville International Airport; Asia/Pacific: Hong Kong International Airport, Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Shanghai Pudong International Airport, and Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport; US: Philadelphia International Airport, Ontario International Airport, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, Chicago Rockford International Airport, Miami International Airport, and Columbia Metropolitan Airport; Europe: Cologne Bonn Airport and East Midlands Airport; and Canada: John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport with 372 global destinations.

Origin: The company was founded in 1988.

Values:

• Integrity – It is the core of who we are and all we do.
• Teamwork – Determined people working together can accomplish anything.
• Service – Serving the needs of our customers and communities is central to our success.
• Quality and Efficiency – We remain constructively dissatisfied in our pursuit of excellence.
• Safety – The well-being of our people, business partners, and the public is of utmost importance.
• Sustainability – Long-term prosperity requires our continued commitment to environmental stewardship and social responsibility.
• Innovation – Creativity and change are essential to growth.

What are the hiring requirements for UPS Airlines careers?

Hiring Requirements:

Basic Qualifications:

• Current unrestricted ATP certificate with an Airplane category multi-engine class rating and English proficiency endorsement.
• Current FAA First Class Medical Certificate.
• FCC Restricted Radiotelephone Operator Permit.
• Valid passport.
• Be authorized to work in the United States.
• Have a minimum of 1500 hours of total fixed-wing pilot time

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited college or university
• Recent and type of experience will be considered; for example, preference given to candidates with demonstrated flight experience in transport category aircraft within the last 12 months from date of application.
• Minimum of 1,000 hours Pilot in Command (PIC) hours in fixed-wing jet and/or fixed-wing multi-engine turboprop per 14 CFR 1.1 (UPS will allow military candidates to add a plus (.3) per sortie factor to flight time.)

So, exactly how much can I earn as a UPS pilot?

Here is a sampling of UPS pilot hourly wages. Pilot pay changes based on various factors, such as type of plane, years of experience, etc.   For instance, this is for the Boeing 747-400. UPS offers excellent benefits including opportunities for jump seats.

Homepage: UPS Cargo

Contact Information
UPS Cargo Careers Office: Overview

We have tried to provide the most accurate information regarding hiring requirements for commercial airlines. However, we also encourage you to contact the airline you’re interested in working for directly to verify employment requirements. Learn how much you can earn as a pilot, and learn exactly how to become a pilot. We wish you great success as an airline pilot and hope you land your dream job! Before you fill out that job application, you will need flight training. If you are interested in pursuing a flying career with UPS Airlines and are interested in receiving your training at our flight school in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, please contact us today!

Return to Commercial Airline Hiring Requirements

UPS in the News

UPS Cargo is a newsmaker. Here are the latest articles about UPS Cargo and its pilots:

• July 27, 2021 – Atlanta Journal Constitution: UPS reports increased profit for second quarter
• Dec. 13, 2020 – Simple Flying: UPS and FedEx Begin Shipping First COVID-19 Vaccines Across US
• Dec. 13, 2020 – Fortune: How FedEx, UPS, and Amazon prepared for holiday shipping deadlines this year
• Dec. 10, 2020 – WLKY: Louisville’s UPS Worldport hub playing pivotal role in COVID-19 vaccine distribution
• Nov. 17, 2020 – The Loadstar: Vietjet in air cargo link with UPS

Airlines! If you have an update for your hiring requirements, please submit them to us! Thank you for helping us keep your information current!

Is it hard to become UPS pilot?

Becoming one of roughly 2,800 UPS pilots is both challenging and rewarding. Base pay for a UPS pilot is $50,000, and that salary can soar to $200,000 for company veterans, according to Phoenix East Aviation. Attend a four-year aviation college program.

View
complete answer
on glassdoor.com

How much does a UPS pilot make?

The estimated total pay for a Pilot at UPS is $115,739 per year. This number represents the median, which is the midpoint of the ranges from our proprietary Total Pay Estimate model and based on salaries collected from our users. The estimated base pay is $87,125 per year.

View
complete answer
on glassdoor.com

What does it take to be a UPS pilot?

UPS Pilot Job Requirements: Bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited college or university. Recent and type of experience will be considered; for example, preference given to candidates with demonstrated flight experience in transport category aircraft within the last 12 months from date of application.

View
complete answer
on thrustflight.com

How long is UPS pilot training?

This is a 36-month program that helps you achieve the required benchmarks needed to interview with UPS Airlines.

View
complete answer
on jobs-ups.com

Are UPS pilots paid well?

UPS leaders stressed all along that the pilots are well paid – an average of $238,000 per year, with generous benefits and retirement plans.

View
complete answer
on courier-journal.com

Top 10 Things I Wish I Knew Before Becoming a Pilot! Airline Pilot Explains – Aviation in 2021!

Who pays pilots more FedEx or UPS?

Pilots with the maximum years of experience earn $313 an hour at FedEx and $309 at UPS. (Maximum experience at UPS and FedEx is 15 years, while it’s capped at 12 years at Atlas, ABX, and ATI.) Even smaller cargo airlines, such as Kalitta Air, pay better than ATSG and Atlas. Kalitta 767 captains earn $273 an hour.

View
complete answer on businessinsider.com

How many hours do UPS pilots work?

The typical UPS pilot is on duty 70 hours per month and actually flies about 30 hours per month, he said, adding that those duty days are “well within FAA limits.”

View
complete answer on usatoday.com

Is UPS pilot a good job?

Great place to work.

The management was very good at providing excellent equipment and leadership. The pilots I flew with were excellent. Long flights were the hardest part of the job. The most enjoyable part of the job was flying with great people.

View
complete answer on indeed.com

Where do UPS pilots fly out of?

UPS Airlines operates out of Worldport, the company’s massive air hub and package handling operation. The company has more than 2,500 pilots around the world, and about 1,800 of them fly out of Louisville.

View
complete answer on wfpl.org

Where do UPS pilots live?

Two-thirds of those pilots are based out of Louisville International Airport, the third busiest cargo airport in the country behind only UPS’ other hub in Anchorage, Alaska, and FedEx’s base in Memphis, Tennessee.

View
complete answer on courier-journal.com

What is the highest paying job at UPS?

At UPS, the highest paid job is a Director of Sales at $250,319 annually and the lowest is a CS Rep at $36,000 annually. Average UPS salaries by department include: Customer Support at $68,909, Engineering at $131,006, Sales at $172,192, and Legal at $205,388. Half of UPS salaries are above $117,255.

View
complete answer on comparably.com

What type of pilot makes the most money?

Airline pilots typically make the most, compared to other types of pilot specializations, such as rescue pilots, tourist pilots and others. There is a significant difference between the average earnings of pilots hired by regional airlines and those who work for national and international airlines.

View
complete answer on indeed.com

How long does it take to get 1500 flight hours?

It takes two months to become a pilot and earn your private pilot license. To become an airline pilot, it takes two years to gain the required 1,500 hours flight time.

View
complete answer on atpflightschool.com

How much does a FedEx pilot make?

Flying for FedEx is the highest-paying job among U.S. carriers, with 30-year pilots making roughly $300,000 not counting overtime or bonuses, industry sources said.

View
complete answer on reuters.com

How many planes do UPS have?

As of February 2022, UPS Airlines has an active fleet of 290 aircraft. Operating an all-jet fleet, the airline does not own any turboprop, short-haul aircraft; as it needs such aircraft, they are chartered from companies such as Air Cargo Carriers and Ameriflight.

View
complete answer on en.wikipedia.org

Where is the biggest UPS hub?

Inside the world’s biggest automated package sorting facility. We visit this UPS facility in Louisville, Kentucky.

View
complete answer on cnet.com

What type of planes does UPS fly?

Our fleet currently includes the following aircraft types: 757-200F, 767-300F, A300-600F, MD-11F, 747-400F, and 747-8F. UPS serves more than 220 countries using a combination of more than 500 UPS and chartered aircraft.

View
complete answer on aircargo.ups.com

Can I become an airline pilot at 45?

Between Age 40 and 45

At this age, you will be able to become a First Officer at a major airline, but you will likely not become a captain that flies long-haul international routes. If you decide to stay at a regional airline, you may be able to become a senior or check captain at that airline.

View
complete answer on pilotinstitute.com

How much do Amazon pilots make?

Amazon Salary FAQs

The salary trajectory of a Pilot ranges between locations and employers. The salary starts at $97,160 per year and goes up to $85,061 per year for the highest level of seniority.

View
complete answer on glassdoor.com

Can I work part time as a pilot?

The part-time program allows pilots with “multi engine, commercial, and instrument ratings, who have logged 250-300 hours” a chance to “hop into an airplane and get 20-30 hours a month piloting a [Part] 121 aircraft.”

View
complete answer on aopa.org

Do pilots have a lot of free time?

Do pilots have free time? Yes, pilots have free time. Junior pilots have a minimum of 12 days off per month, whereas the average pilot gets 15 days off per month and a senior pilot can enjoy up to 20 days off per month.

View
complete answer on flyingmag.com

How many days off do pilots get?

Airline Pilots have a minimum of 12 to 15 days off per month,depending on the airline. For example, in a 30-day month, Southwest Airlines mandates that pilots take 15 reserve days. In addition, FAA regulations allow pilots to fly just 1,000 hours a year.

View
complete answer on cnbc.com

How often are pilots away from home?

In terms of actual days, some publications say most short-haul pilots will either travel home every day if possible or work for five days and then spend three or four days at home. Long-haul pilots are said to spend more time away from home, although they do get 10 to 15 days off per month to see their families.

View
complete answer on airwaysmag.com

← Previous question
What are some classy captions?

Next question →
In what languages is the moon masculine?

Pay raises and lower requirements – Insider reveals how US airlines are dealing with pilot shortages – InoTV

Faced with the problem of pilot shortages, US airlines are taking extreme measures to fill jobs, Insider writes. Someone raises salaries and gives “lifting” bonuses to beginners, others reduce the lists of requirements, for example, about complete higher education, express their readiness to hire specialists of pre-retirement age, or are looking for pilots in Australia.

After a temporary respite during the pandemic, the problem of a shortage of pilots in American aviation is again making itself felt, writes Insider. Airlines are now going to extreme lengths to attract new talent and encourage more young people to choose the right career. And for the first time in decades of low pay, difficult training, and forced unpaid leave, active pilots have a chance to improve their lot.

New airline Breeze Airways has already raised the salaries of its pilots. So, those who will fly Embraer E19 aircraft0/E195 as a co-pilot will receive 11% more – that is, $61 per hour of flight. And for those who will work as a co-pilot on the Airbus A220, the salary will be increased by 24% – that is, up to $ 68 per hour of flight.

Many aspiring pilots no longer have to put up with low salaries at the start of their careers. Regional airlines, which usually serve as the first step for pilots hoping to get a job with larger carriers, have begun to offer decent incentive bonuses when hiring newcomers.

Regional Missouri-based GoJet Airlines is now offering $20,000 bonuses to co-pilots and $40,000 to experienced pilots who can serve as pilots.

According to Insider , pilots looking to move to larger airlines are finding it easier to do so as employers cut down job applicant lists. For example, Delta Air Lines removed the requirement for a four-year university degree to be required. ” While we continue to value the importance of education, there are highly qualified candidates who we would like to welcome into our Delta family who have gained more than the equivalent of a higher education with life experience and years of service in leadership positions,” the company commented.

United Airlines also says that a bachelor’s degree for pilot candidates will be an advantage, but not a requirement. And American Airlines does not indicate at all any special requirements for the presence of diplomas of higher education. Also, independent flight schools allow their students to obtain the necessary licenses without additional fees for higher education programs. Airline training programs are gaining popularity, under which pilots, although they will pay for their own training, will be able to count on a job with a major carrier, as well as access to financial assistance, including loans on more favorable terms.

Employers cannot control some of the requirements for pilots, continues Insider. Among them are the required number of flight hours for work on passenger airlines and the mandatory retirement age of 65 years, set by the US Federal Aviation Administration. However, not all airlines today are recruiting pilots who can work for decades to come. The said startup Breeze Airways, on the contrary, is ready to hire experienced professionals who left the profession during the pandemic, but who still have a few years before retirement age. ” Any specialist who has three years left before retirement will be a great addition to the team, because he will bring maturity, discipline and vast experience to , ”says Christopher Owens, vice president of flight support for the company.

Another way to fill empty jobs for US airlines is to hire pilots from Australia who are invited to work in the US on a skilled worker visa. According to Breeze Airways, it has already received 120 applications under this program. And more and more airlines are implementing similar initiatives to find new specialists.

Employers are realizing that they can no longer afford to ignore the problem of pilot shortages because they feel the negative impact of it. For example, United has hundreds of planes idle in the regions, and certain routes had to be shortened or changed. “ I don’t have much faith that things will get better any time soon unless we do something to increase the number of pilots,” United CEO Scott Kirby said at a Senate hearing last month.

The aviation expert doubted the expediency of replacing the co-pilot of civil airliners with a virtual one and explained why| Society news

In the recent past, Russian civil aviation has repeatedly faced a shortage of valuable specialists. In 2017, the problem of a shortage of pilots in commercial airlines was exposed. Hundreds of the best personnel, experienced pilots with good knowledge of English went to work in Asian airlines

More attractive working conditions were created in China, India and Vietnam. The dynamically developing air transportation markets in these countries required an expansion of the staff, so highly qualified Russian pilots were gladly hired. Due to the lack of flight personnel in domestic airlines, even serious crises occurred. Thus, the VIM-Avia company was unable to fulfill its obligations to passengers, including due to the dismissal of a significant part of aircraft commanders. Vladimir Popov, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the Aviapanorama magazine, noted that there are enough schools in the Russian Federation to train civilian pilots and centers for their certification, however, the outflow of personnel abroad creates serious difficulties – many pilots with little experience remain in domestic companies, which potentially increases security risks flights.

The situation was similar for air traffic controllers, whose work is critical to air traffic management. In January of this year, the Federal Trade Union of Aviation Dispatchers warned the Russian authorities that the deteriorating working conditions of air traffic controllers could lead to massive layoffs, and the lack of such specialists is a direct threat to aviation security.

The head of the trade union, Sergei Kovalev, explained that due to the pandemic and the reduction in the number of flights, the state air traffic management corporation, subordinate to the Federal Air Transport Agency, decided to optimize its costs and, in particular, cut the wage fund and social packages for dispatchers. Also, the threat of a reduction in the number of personnel became more and more real, since civil aviation was in a serious financial crisis. The trade union called on the state to provide assistance to the industry from the budget so that aviation does not lose valuable specialists whose training takes up to 10 years.

However, after February 24, the situation changed dramatically. Where there used to be a threat of too few pilots and controllers in commercial aviation, there are now too many employees in the current state of air travel. In response to the NVO of Russian troops in Ukraine, 36 countries, incl. members of the European Union, the United States and Great Britain closed their skies to Russian aircraft. Airports in southern Russia remain closed for six months, including such popular destinations as Simferopol, Anapa, Gelendzhik, and the million-plus cities of Krasnodar, Voronezh and Rostov-on-Don. In addition, due to anti-Russian sanctions that banned the sale of new aircraft in the Russian Federation and the supply of spare parts for existing aircraft, domestic companies are forced to reduce the intensity of fleet operation and the number of sorties in order to maximize the life of the aircraft. All these factors most negatively affected the activity in the air transportation market. The logical consequence of the crisis were cuts in the industry. In June, the first information appeared about mass layoffs of aircraft commanders and co-pilots flying Boeing 737 and Boeing 777, which had to be returned at the request of lessors. Up to 450 pilots were supposed to be cut under the cuts, some of which have already received the appropriate notifications.

The situation with air traffic controllers is no better. Today, the Federal Trade Union of Aviation Dispatchers again appealed to the Prosecutor General’s Office with a complaint about the actions of the State Air Traffic Management Corporation. According to the union, the department has already laid off up to 600 dispatchers, and 15,000 specialists are on full or partial downtime, which is reflected in their salaries accordingly. Last time, the Prosecutor General’s Office found no violations in the actions of the employer, but confirmed that the state corporation could be provided with targeted assistance to maintain financial stability.

Meanwhile, the aviation community was stirred up by the news about the future replacement of co-pilots of civilian airliners with computer equipment with artificial intelligence elements. The Ministry of Industry and Trade made such a proposal by placing a tender on the public procurement portal for the development of such technology by the end of 2024. The head of the department, Denis Manturov, said that in the future, the replacement of the co-pilot with a virtual one is quite likely.

However, aviation experts reacted to the news with great skepticism. Roman Gusarov, head of the Avia.ru profile portal, noted that in normal flight practice on modern aircraft there is no need for a co-pilot, his functions can be taken over by the on-board computer. However, such an innovation requires refinement of both the technologies themselves and the legislation. The expert added that the question remains unresolved of what to do if the only person in the control cabin becomes ill or, for other reasons, cannot control the aircraft.

There is another aspect that makes the prospect of replacing the co-pilot with a robot a dubious idea. According to the rules of international aviation security in force in the United States, the European Union and a number of other countries, at least two people must always be in the cockpit. Similar requirements have been introduced by the Federal Air Transport Agency. The reason for the tightening of safety standards was the crash of the Germanwings A320 aircraft in 2015. When the pilot-in-command left the cockpit, co-pilot Andreas Lubitz locked the door and deliberately steered the plane into the ground. Since then, if one of the pilots leaves the cockpit, he must be replaced by a flight attendant or other crew member.

Whether artificial intelligence will be able to interfere with inadequate actions of the pilot, given that in any case a person must have control over the autopilot and the ability to turn it off is a big question.

The vice-president of the Trade Union of the flight personnel of Russia, the current civil aviation pilot Oleg Prikhodko directly called the replacement of the co-pilot with artificial intelligence impossible in the coming decades. He stressed that such an innovation is absolutely unsafe for passenger transportation, since one person is not enough to fully control the aircraft, especially in an emergency. In addition, the future aircraft commander is always gaining experience in the position of co-pilot, and the disappearance of co-pilots will destroy the entire system of pilot training.

The President of the Sheremetyevo Flight Union, aviation expert Igor Deldyuzhov, in his commentary to Moskovskaya Gazeta, also noted that future aircraft commanders gain experience in the positions of co-pilot so that in the future they can independently make the right decisions in various situations. According to the expert, before taking the place of PIC, you need to work as a co-pilot for at least 5 years. In the case of replacing the co-pilot with a virtual one, it is not clear according to what scheme the crews of civilian airliners will be trained. The interlocutor of Moskovskaya noted that developments are really underway in the West, involving the replacement of the co-pilot with robotic systems in the future. However, Deldyuzhov doubted that at the moment Russian science is capable of developing such technologies.

“Besides, you need to ask the passengers themselves if they are ready to fly with such a crew. There are military drones, but they have completely different tasks. And civil aviation must safely transport passengers from point A to point B. I think the initiative is absolutely harmful. And they are still asking for 3 billion. I doubt that this will be of any use,” said Igor Deldyuzhov. – We will definitely apply to the government, to Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, so that this tender is withdrawn and not wasted time and money. We have enough other tasks in our country.”

The President of the Sheremetyevo Flight Trade Union noted that there are many pilots in Russia, some of whom are already finding it difficult to find work in domestic airlines, and such proposals in the future threaten with possible unemployment among the flight crew. In his opinion, the replacement of the co-pilot with a robot will not bring savings either, since the cost of the ticket for the entire crew, including flight attendants, is 6%, and the salaries of the pilots themselves are only 3%.

But if we imagine that the aviation authorities will try to implement this idea, it means that the need for pilots will be reduced by exactly half. Pilots who did not find a place for themselves in domestic airlines could try their luck abroad, as they did in previous years. But the state has recently declined to approve this prospect. Pilots began to complain that when trying to get a job at a foreign airline, the Federal Air Transport Agency refuses to provide the necessary information to a new employer. For employment in another country, the pilot must confirm his qualifications, for which requests are sent to the Federal Air Transport Agency to confirm the flight certificate. But the department in response refers to the need to protect personal data and other reasons, without disclosing the necessary information. Of course, Russia needs a reserve of personnel for a possible future restoration of air travel. But what should the pilots themselves do, whose services their homeland does not currently need? There is nowhere to fly in the previous volumes, it is not possible to go abroad to work. It remains only to leave the profession and find another occupation? And talk about virtual co-pilots will certainly disturb potential pilots who are going to receive a specialized education. Some will probably decide that the possible replacement of pilots with a computer deprives them of a guaranteed job in the near future, and will choose another specialty for themselves. Such an unstable environment at the present time may pose a threat of shortages in the long term. Some will quit and find another job, others will not want to study as pilots and air traffic controllers, although they could replace the older generation of their colleagues in the future.

The state could take certain measures to at least partially normalize the situation in the aviation industry. For example, Igor Deldyuzhov suggested waiving retaliatory sanctions and opening the skies of the Russian Federation for aircraft from those countries that banned Russian airliners from flying over their territory. The expert explained that before Russia received 500-600 million dollars as a payment for the flight of aircraft along the shortest route from Europe to Asia. A considerable income was received simply due to the favorable location of our territory. And now the country has lost this money, and the sharply reduced air traffic threatens to lose jobs for dispatchers. So far, however, there are no signs that those in charge are ready to heed such advice. So, the threat of outflow of personnel remains real. Meanwhile, the mutual closure of the sky, sanctions and the ban on the supply of spare parts and aircraft cannot be eternal. After some time, political restrictions will surely become a thing of the past, air travel will recover, and the Russian market will be ready to increase traffic volumes again. But there may be no one to sit at the controls and manage air traffic on the same scale.

Pay raises and lower requirements – Insider reveals how US airlines are tackling pilot shortages

Faced with pilot shortages, US airlines are taking extreme measures to fill jobs, Insider writes. Someone raises salaries and gives “lifting” bonuses to beginners, others reduce the lists of requirements, for example, about complete higher education, express their readiness to hire specialists of pre-retirement age, or are looking for pilots in Australia.

AP

After a temporary respite during the pandemic, the problem of a shortage of pilots in American aviation is again making itself felt, writes Insider. Airlines are now going to extreme lengths to attract new talent and encourage more young people to choose the right career. And for the first time in decades of low pay, difficult training, and forced unpaid leave, active pilots have a chance to improve their lot.

New airline Breeze Airways has already raised the salaries of its pilots. So, those who will fly Embraer E19 aircraft0/E195 as a co-pilot will receive 11% more – that is, $61 per hour of flight. And for those who will work as a co-pilot on the Airbus A220, the salary will be increased by 24% – that is, up to $ 68 per hour of flight.

Many aspiring pilots no longer have to put up with low salaries at the start of their careers. Regional airlines, which usually serve as the first step for pilots hoping to get a job with larger carriers, have begun to offer decent incentive bonuses when hiring newcomers.

Regional Missouri-based GoJet Airlines is now offering $20,000 bonuses to co-pilots and $40,000 to experienced pilots who can serve as pilots.

According to Insider , pilots looking to move to larger airlines are finding it easier to do so as employers cut down job applicant lists. For example, Delta Air Lines removed the requirement for a four-year university degree to be required. “While we continue to value the importance of education, there are highly qualified candidates who we would like to invite into our Delta family who have gained more than the equivalent of a college degree with life experience and years of leadership positions,” the company commented.

United Airlines also says that a bachelor’s degree for pilot candidates will be an advantage, but not a requirement. And American Airlines does not indicate at all any special requirements for the presence of diplomas of higher education. Also, independent flight schools allow their students to obtain the necessary licenses without additional fees for higher education programs. Airline training programs are gaining popularity, under which pilots, although they will pay for their own training, will be able to count on a job with a major carrier, as well as access to financial assistance, including loans on more favorable terms.

Employers cannot control some of the requirements for pilots, continues Insider. Among them are the required number of flight hours for work on passenger airlines and the mandatory retirement age of 65 years, set by the US Federal Aviation Administration. However, not all airlines today are recruiting pilots who can work for decades to come. The said startup Breeze Airways, on the contrary, is ready to hire experienced professionals who left the profession during the pandemic, but who still have a few years before retirement age. “Any specialist who has three years left before retirement will be a great addition to the team, because he will bring maturity, discipline and a lot of experience,” said Christopher Owens, vice president of flight support for the company.