Piedmont Airlines Introduces Cadet Program for Pilots
Corporate Communications 817-967-1577 [email protected]
FOR RELEASE: Jan. 21, 2016
PIEDMONT AIRLINES INTRODUCES CADET PROGRAM FOR PILOTS
Salisbury, Maryland, Jan. 21, 2016 –Piedmont Airlines, Inc. is launching an industry-leading Cadet Program, for promising pilots. The Cadet Program will lead the industry in terms of benefits, including tuition reimbursement, and engagement with students early on, while allowing the growing regional carrier to mentor and guide its next generation over an extended time period.
“As we grow our fleet of regional jets, Piedmont’s immediate need is experienced pilots who can upgrade quickly to the left seat,” said Piedmont’s president, Lyle Hogg. “But we also recognize that long term success means investing now in talented young pilots. We will count on them to fill the gap when our more senior aviators move on to American Airlines. It’s an excellent opportunity for seamless advancement from student, to pilot instructor and on to Piedmont where they’ll have the opportunity to move up to American through our seniority-based flow through agreement.”
Piedmont will partner with select colleges and flight schools to provide tuition reimbursement and other benefits to qualified pilots. Once a pilot achieves Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) status he or she will be eligible for the Cadet Program including placement at a Piedmont partner school as an instructor and tuition reimbursement up to $5,000. After reaching the necessary number of flight hours, the pilot will be placed into an FAA-required Airline Transport Pilot Certification Training Program (ATP-CTP) course and provided with transportation and accommodations, at no cost. Once the course is completed successfully, the pilot will begin Piedmont first officer training at the American Airlines Training Center in Charlotte. At the start of training, each cadet pilot will receive an additional $6,000 in tuition reimbursement for a total value of more than $16,000.
“That is a significant investment in our cadets,” said Hogg. “We want the very best men and women flying for Piedmont. The Cadet Program allows us to identify these individuals early on, mentor them through the critical first part of their careers and ultimately be successful when they move from Piedmont to American.”
Piedmont Airlines Introduces Cadet Program for Pilots Jan. 21, 2016 Page 2
Details on Piedmont’s Cadet Program can be found on the Piedmont Airlines website http://piedmont-airlines.com/Careers/Career-Guides/Pilots or Facebook.com/Work for Piedmont. Schools that wish to inquire about the Piedmont Cadet Program can email [email protected].
About Piedmont Airlines Piedmont Airlines, Inc. is headquartered in Salisbury, Md. and employs 6,500 aviation professionals. Piedmont recently opened a Philadelphia crew base to accommodate its expanding fleet of Embraer 145 regional jets. Piedmont also operates a fleet of 37 Bombardier DHC-8 turbo prop aircraft on nearly 300 flights per day to 51 cities throughout the eastern United States. In addition to Philadelphia, Piedmont crew bases are Roanoke, Va., Harrisburg, Pa., and Salisbury/Ocean City, Md.
Piedmont Airlines’ customer service team can be found in 80 airports across the United States. In 2016, Piedmont will add 300 customer service jobs in Charlotte, NC and expand its maintenance facilities to include a new base and 40 jobs in Richmond, Va.
About American Airlines Group American Airlines and American Eagle offer an average of nearly 6,700 flights per day to nearly 350 destinations in more than 50 countries. American has hubs in Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, and Washington, D.C. American is a founding member of the oneworld alliance, whose members and members-elect serve nearly 1,000 destinations with 14,250 daily flights to 150 countries. Shares of American Airlines Group Inc. trade on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol AAL. In 2015, its stock joined the S&P 500 index. Connect with American on Twitter @AmericanAir and at Facebook.com/AmericanAirlines.