SkyWest Airlines Increases Pay 90% In New Deal With Pilot Association

As airlines race to keep their pilot seats full, salaries for new hire First Officers and Captains continue to increase to match the overwhelming demand for ATP-licensed pilots.

With the current hiring climate, regionals are looking to retain their pilots and get more competitive in their salary and bonus packages. Recently, SkyWest Airlines and their associated pilot group, SAPA, ratified an agreement that raises new-hire salaries to over $90,000 for their first year and new Captains to over $216,000.

The airline industry has been in full recovery mode over the last year, steadily increasing passenger volume while simultaneously dealing with a shortage of staff both on the ground and in the air, resulting in delays and cuts to smaller service areas.

In an effort to stave off more significant cuts to routes and schedules, major airlines have started aggressively hiring experienced pilots from smaller, regional airlines, by making attractive incentive and bonus offers.

Known as the pipeline to the majors, regional airlines have served as the starting point for a pilot’s career, where they earn ATP licenses and assorted type ratings while gaining experience with a commercial carrier. Pilots could expect to spend the first 5 or more years of their career with a regional before typically joining the flow of a major airline, where they would commit much of their career.

Now, experienced pilots are looking at far more career options when it comes to weighing seniority against transitioning to a major.

SkyWest has long offered guaranteed interviews with Delta, United, Alaska and more recently Southwest, providing a clear path to the upper tiers of pilot salary. They are able to do this by being a powerhouse of regional flight operations with 19 domiciles, the largest fleet, and training some of the most sought-after pilots in the industry.

AeroGuard is a proud partner of SkyWest Airlines and through our Pilot Pathway Program, we offer a direct route to a First Officer seat. Our students benefit from a professionally structured, accelerated learning environment where they learn how to become leaders in the classroom and exceptionally qualified pilots in the air.