American Airlines is looking to hire veteran pilots from two mail carriers, offering a hefty bonus to such pilots who swap employers.

The bonus is being offered by PSA Airlines specifically, which is a regional carrier owned by American Airlines. The bonus, meant to lure in pilots from United Parcel Service and FedEx, would not be paid entirely upfront and would instead give newly hired pilots a $175,000 bonus in their first paycheck, with an additional $75,000 one year later, according to a report.

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“We continue to face a captain shortage that has impacted our ability to fully utilize our regional fleet,” read a memo from Heather Garboden, senior vice president of regionals and cargo at American Airlines.

Flight Attendants-Uniforms
American Airlines planes sit stored at Pittsburgh International Airport on March 31, 2020, in Imperial, Pennsylvania.

Gene J. Puskar/AP


While UPS has passed the details of this offer to pilots who have accepted a buyout from the company, FedEx has stated that its pilots may want to consider the offer, according to the report. The latter mailing service stated in July that it has an excess of 700 pilots.

“Frankly, I was pessimistic about how attractive the opportunity might be when first approached, but the details are compelling,” said Pat DiMento, FedEx’s vice president of flight operations and training.

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The reported offer from PSA Airlines comes as travel is expected to ramp up ahead of the Thanksgiving and Christmas season, as 30 million passengers are expected to head to the terminals between Friday, Nov. 17, and Tuesday, Nov. 28, according to the Transportation Security Administration. The administration anticipates setting a new all-time record for single-day travel, as it is likely that screenings will surpass 2.9 million on Sunday, Nov. 26.

The air travel industry has managed to rebound after a couple of rough years during the COVID-19 pandemic. The industry’s pre-pandemic record for daily TSA screenings was 2.79 million on July 2, 2019, which was broken on June 30 of this year with 2.88 million passengers, according to TSA data.

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