OREANDA-NEWS. Envoy Air Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of American Airlines Group (NASDAQ:AAL), announced today that it will nearly double the starting rate of pay for new hires, to nearly $38 per hour – effectively starting new hire pilots on Step 3 of the Envoy pilot pay scale. This means that Envoy First Officers can earn $58,000 or more in their first year on the job.

The carrier will also increase the pay rates for existing First Officers during their first three years with the airline – and expand its existing First Officer Retention Bonus of $20,000 to apply to all new hires and existing First Officers who do not already participate in the program. New hire pilots who choose to fly Envoy’s legacy fleet will now receive $20,000 at signing.

“Envoy’s new industry-leading starting pay – along with our up to $20,000 signing bonus, $20,000 First Officer retention bonus and guaranteed flow-through to American Airlines, without any further interview – means our pilots will be among the most highly compensated in the industry,” said Ric Wilson, Vice President Flight Operations. “Now, and throughout their flying career.”

Envoy introduced a $20,000 First Officer Retention bonus earlier this year for pilots already on payroll. Today’s announcement expands that program to include any First Officers currently flying for Envoy who did not already qualify for the bonus – as well as all new hires. Under the expanded program, pilots will receive $2,500 quarterly, following completion of one year of service.

Captains at Envoy, who are already well on their way to a guaranteed job at American Airlines, will also be eligible to receive a $7,500 retention bonus, payable in three $2,500 increments.

“Our ability to attract and retain the most talented pilots has been critical to our success,” added Wilson. “Hiring more new pilots allows us to compete for additional flying. And it provides swifter career progression for our First Officers looking to upgrade to Captain, and our Captains who are in line to flow-through to the mainline.”

About Envoy

Envoy Air Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of American Airlines Group, operates 150 aircraft on about 800 daily flights to more than 150 destinations throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico. The company’s more than 14,000 employees provide regional flight service to American Airlines under the American Eagle brand and ground handling services for many American Airlines Group flights. The company was founded in 1998, as American Eagle Airlines, Inc., following the merger of several smaller regional carriers to create one of the largest regional airlines in the world. Envoy is headquartered in Irving, Texas, with hubs in Dallas/Fort Worth and Chicago and large ground handling operations in Los Angeles, Miami and New York. Envoy is currently adding 40 spacious Embraer 175 aircraft to its fleet, with options for up to 90 more.

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 serve nearly 1,000 destinations with 14,250 daily flights to over 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.