Compass Airlines (Minneapolis/St. Paul) as we previously reported is becoming an American Eagle operator starting on March 29. Per Airline Route, Compass will operate new Embraer ERJ 175s from Los Angeles International Airport for American Airlines (Dallas/Fort Worth) initially to Denver and Houston (Bush Intercontinental) with daily service.

Copyright Photo: Rob Finlayson/AirlinersGallery.com. Republic Airlines also operates the Embraer 175 as an American Eagle carrier. Embraer ERJ 170-200LR (ERJ 175) N422YX (msn 170000387) approaches the runway at the Miami International Airport hub.

American Eagle-Republic Airlines aircraft slide show:

American Airlines (Dallas/Fort Worth) will introduce Embraer ERJ 175 American Eagle service between Los Angeles and San Francisco starting on April 14. Compass Airlines (Minneapolis/St. Paul) will operate the twice-daily service per Airline Route.

Compass Airlines will operate 20 ERJ 175s as a new American Eagle carrier. The first delivery is due in March.

Currently Envoy Air (CRJ700s), Mesa Airlines (CRJ900s) and SkyWest Airlines (CRJ200s) operate American Eagle regional routes from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).

Copyright Photo: Jay Selman/AirlinersGallery.com. Republic Airlines (2nd) (call sign “Brickyard”) currently operates the type as an American Eagle carrier. Embraer ERJ 170-200LR (ERJ 175) N136HQ (msn 17000226) approaches the runway at Charlotte Douglas International Airport.

American Eagle-Republic aircraft slide show:

Alaska Airlines (Seattle/Tacoma) will also inaugurate Embraer 175 operations on July 1 on three additional routes besides those previously reported. The three new routes on July 1 will be Portland, Oregon-Salt Lake City, Seattle/Tacoma-Ontario and Seattle/Tacoma-Salt Lake City.

As previously reported, the new Embraer ERJ 175 jets (a new type in Alaska colors), Alaska will begin offering daily nonstop service starting on July 1, 2015 between Seattle/Tacoma and Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Seattle/Tacoma and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; and Portland, Oregon and St. Louis.

The 76-seat E175 jet will feature 12 seats in first class and 64 in coach, and boasts cabin dimensions on par with a Boeing 737. Onboard amenities include Wi-Fi Internet access, streaming inflight entertainment and 110 volt power in every first class seat. Food and beverage will include hot meals and picnic packs for purchase, in addition to Northwest microbrews and wine.

SkyWest Airlines (Alaska SkyWest) (St. George, UT) has purchased seven Embraer ERJ 175 aircraft to fly on behalf of Alaska under a capacity purchase agreement (CPA). The first three aircraft will arrive in the summer of 2015, and the remaining four will be delivered in the first quarter of 2016.

Alaska SkyWest aircraft slide show:

American Airlines Group (Dallas/Fort Worth) yesterday (February 11) took delivery of the first Embraer ERJ 175 (ERJ 170-200LR) (N200NN, msn 17000456) to be operated by newcomer Compass Airlines (Minneapolis/St. Paul). Compass will operate the first 20 aircraft. The remaining 40 ERJ 175s will be operated by American Airlines Group subsidiary Envoy Air (Dallas/Fort Worth).

Embraer issued this statement:

At a ceremony held on February 11 at the Company’s headquarters in São José dos Campos, Embraer delivered to American Airlines the first of 60 firm order E175 jets under the contract signed between the two companies in December 2013. The contract also included options for another 90 E175s, taking the total order potential to 150 aircraft.

American Airlines selected Compass Airlines, a wholly owned subsidiary of Trans States Holdings, to operate the first 20 E175 aircraft under the American Eagle brand. The E175s will be configured with 12 First Class, 20 Main Cabin Extra and 44 Main Cabin seats, for a total of 76 seats.

Copyright Photo: Brian McDonough/AirlinersGallery.com. Republic Airlines is already an Embraer ERJ 175 operator for American Eagle. Republic Airlines’ (2nd) Embraer ERJ 170-200LR (ERJ 175) N407YX (msn 17000370) completes the final approach to Washington’s Reagan National Airport.

American Eagle-Republic aircraft slide show: 

FDA-Fuji Dream Airlines (Makinohara, Shizuoka) has taken delivery of its ninth Embraer E-Jet. The pictured ERJ 170-200STD (ERJ 175) JA09FJ (msn 17000464) was handed over in Brazil on March 19 and is painted gold (above). JA09FJ has now been welcomed to Japan (below).

Each aircraft features an unique color making for a very colorful fleet (below).

Read the full report from ZipanguFlyer: CLICK HERE

Photos: FDA (above) and Embraer (below).

FDA aircraft slide show: 

American Airlines (Dallas/Fort Worth) is further expanding its American Eagle Embraer 175 operations, routes and schedules from its Los Angeles, Chicago (O’Hare), Miami and New York (JFK) hubs per Airline Route. The new routes will be operated by its various partner airlines.

From Los Angeles, effective September 9, E175 service will be started to El Paso, Fayetteville (Northwest Arkansas), Oklahoma City, Salt Lake City and San Jose, California. Service to Phoenix starts the following day.

From Chicago (O’Hare), starting on March 29, E175 service will be initiated to Madison and Richmond. This will be expanded on May 7 with new E175 service to Austin and on June 4 to Memphis.

From Miami, starting on May 7, E175 service will be offered from the MIA hub to various domestic and Caribbean routes by Republic Airlines (2nd) (Indianapolis), replacing Embraer ERJ 145 flights operated by Envoy Air (Dallas/Fort Worth). On May 7, the new type will be operated to Charleston, South Carolina, Norfolk and North Eleuthera. Starting on June 4, the E175 will be assigned to the Fort-de-France, Greensboro, La Romana, Marsh Harbour, Memphis and Port-au-Prince routes. Finally on August 19, the E175 will be operated to Providenciales (Provo) in the Turks and Caicos Islands.

From New York (JFK), new Embraer E175 aircraft will be assigned to the Norfolk route starting on May 7 followed by Indianapolis route on June 4.

Copyright Photo: Mark Durbin/AirlinersGallery.com. As planned, Compass Airlines (Minneapolis/St. Paul) started the Los Angeles – San Francisco E175 Shuttle on April 13. Officially certified as the Embraer ERJ 170-200LR (ERJ 175), N201NN (msn 17000461) taxies at San Francisco International Airport (SFO).

American Airlines aircraft slide show (current livery only): 

American Eagle-Republic aircraft slide show: 

United Airlines (Chicago) according to Fortune, “is now offering free frequent flier miles to would-be hackers who can crack the airline’s various websites and mobile apps as part of a bug bounty program”.

Read the full article: CLICK HERE

Additionally, according to Reuters, United will lease 11 used Airbus A319s from AerCap Holdings NV over the next two years in order to reduce the number of 50-seat regional jets operated. The airline also has the right to lease 14 additional A319s over the next five years.

In other news, United will also offer two new twice-daily United Express Embraer 175 flights from Denver to both Charlotte and Raleigh/Durham starting on September 13 per Airline Route.

In addition, United will start summer seasonal twice-weekly United Express Bombardier CRJ700 service from Denver to Coos Bay/North Bend, Oregon (Southwest Oregon Regional Airport) starting on July 1.

Copyright Photo above: SPA/AirlinersGallery.com. Still active and going strong, Boeing 767-322 ER N662UA (msn 27159) climbs away from London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR).

Finally, the Boeing 767-300s of United still are in demand by passengers. According to The Street, the 30 remodeled 767-300s are the second most favored wide-body aircraft (after the new Boeing 787) in the UA fleet according to passengers after-flight surveys.

Read the full report: CLICK HERE

Copyright Photo below: Brian McDonough/AirlinersGallery.com. Mesa Airlines‘ Embraer ERJ 170-200LR (ERJ 175) N85320 (msn 17000454) completes the approach to Washington’s Reagan National Airport (DCA).

United Airlines aircraft slide show (current livery): 

United Express-Mesa Airlines aircraft slide show: 

SkyWest Airlines (Alaska SkyWest) (St. George, Utah) has taken delivery of its first new Embraer ERJ 170-200LR (ERJ 175) in preparation of its new Embraer-operated Alaska SkyWest service. The pictured N170SY (msn 170900483) was handed over on June 1 in Brazil.

Alaska Airlines (Seattle/Tacoma) as previously reported, will begin offering daily nonstop service starting on July 1, 2015 between the Seattle/Tacoma hub and Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Seattle/Tacoma and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; and Portland, Oregon and St. Louis.

The 76-seat E175 jet will feature 12 seats in first class and 64 in coach, and boasts cabin dimensions on par with a Boeing 737. Onboard amenities include Wi-Fi Internet access, streaming inflight entertainment and 110 volt power in every first class seat. Food and beverage will include hot meals and picnic packs for purchase, in addition to Northwest microbrews and wine.

SkyWest has purchased seven Embraer E175 aircraft to fly on behalf of Alaska under a capacity purchase agreement (CPA). The first three aircraft will arrive in the summer of 2015, and the remaining four will be delivered in the first quarter of 2016.

Copyright Photo: Raul Sepulveda/AirlinersGallery.com. N170SY passed through San Juan yesterday on its long delivery route.

Alaska Airlines aircraft slide show: 

Alaska SkyWest aircraft slide show: 

Embraer S.A. (São José dos Campos) announced today at the 51st International Paris Air Show an agreement with United Airlines (Chicago) to add additional E175 jets to the United Express fleet. The agreement consists of ten firm orders, which will be included in Embraer’s 2015 second-quarter backlog. Additionally, Embraer expects that United or one of the carriers that operates as United Express will convert options for 18 aircraft to firm orders in the near term. The ten firm orders have an estimated value of $444 million based on current list price.

Delivery of the first of these aircraft is expected in 2016. The E175s are configured in a dual class 76-seat layout and will operate under the United Express brand. The carrier’s 76-seat jet fleet will be comprised exclusively of E175s. This latest acquisition is in addition to a previous order from United Airlines for 30 E175s in April 2013.

United’s E175 will be equipped with a 12 First class, 16 Economy Plus Seats, and 48 Economy seats. Wi-Fi will also be included.

The E175s feature a new wingtip that, among other technical enhancements, improves aerodynamic performance. Fuel consumption on a typical flight is 6.4% lower than first-generation E175s. In North America, the E175 is the preferred aircraft of carriers operating 76-seat jets. In the last two years, the E175 has captured over 80% of orders among aircraft in its class from airlines in the USA.

Copyright Photo: Brian McDonough/AirlinersGallery.com. Embraer ERJ 170-200LR (ERJ 175) N110SY (msn 17000405) departs from Washington (Reagan National).

United Airlines aircraft slide show (current livery): 

United Express-SkyWest aircraft slide show:

American Airlines (Dallas/Fort Worth) is assigning more routes to Compass Airlines (Minneapolis/St. Paul) from Los Angeles International Airport. Starting On September 9, Compass will operate its Embraer 175s on American Eagle flights from LAX to Fayetteville (Northwest Arkansas), Fresno, Oklahoma City and Reno.

This will be followed on November 5 with the Los Angeles – El Paso route.

Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. Operated by Compass Airlines, Embraer ERJ 170-200LR (ERJ 175) N202NN (msn 17000467) approaches the runway at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).

American Eagle-Compass aircraft slide show:

SkyWest, Inc. (St. George, Utah) announced today that its wholly-owned subsidiary SkyWest Airlines, Inc. (St. George, Utah) has entered into an amendment to an existing Capacity Purchase Agreement with United Airlines, Inc. (Chicago) to operate an additional 18 new Embraer E175 dual-class regional jet aircraft.

The cabin will be a dual-class configuration of 76 seats and will be equipped with Wi-Fi. Under the agreement, it is anticipated that delivery of the aircraft will begin in late 2016, with all 18 aircraft being delivered by mid-2017.

Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. SkyWest Airlines’ Embraer ERJ 170-200LR (ERJ 175) N124SY (msn 17000439) in United Express colors approaches the runway at Los Angeles.

United Express-SkyWest Airlines aircraft slide show: 

Compass Airlines (Minneapolis/St. Paul) has finalized an agreement with ATP Flight School that paves the way for its participation in ATP’s Tuition Reimbursement Program. This program allows ATP graduate flight instructors to have up to $11,000 of their ATP training costs paid for by Compass, in exchange for agreeing to fly for Compass after earning the requisite number of hours.

“We recognize that the path to becoming a commercial airline pilot can be expensive,” said Jacob Rosholt, Chief Operating Officer at Compass Airlines. “The ATP Tuition Reimbursement program is a terrific opportunity to ease the financial burden faced by aspiring pilots, while simultaneously giving Compass immediate access to some of the nation’s top aviation talent.”

“Tuition reimbursement helps address the long-term need to attract new pilots into the airline career. Compass is helping innovate a real, sustainable solution to the pilot shortage by participating in this program,” said Justin Dennis, Vice President at ATP.

Compass is now hiring 40 pilots per month, and currently offers an upgrade time in less than one year, provided Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR) and General Operations Manual (GOM) requirements are met.

Compass Airlines serves over 4 million passengers annually, averaging over 180 daily departures to destinations in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Compass operates a fleet of Embraer 170/175 aircraft on behalf of American Airlines (as American Eagle) and Delta Air Lines (as Delta Connection), and is in the midst of major growth, adding 20 Embraer 175 aircraft to its fleet in 2015. Compass has crew bases in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Los Angeles and Seattle/Tacoma.

Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. Compass Airlines Embraer ERJ 170-200LR (ERJ 175) N624CZ (msn 17000222) operating as a Delta Connection carrier departs from Los Angeles.

Compass Airlines aircraft slide show: 

Mesa Airlines, Inc. (Phoenix) has announced an agreement with United Airlines (Chicago) to add 15 Embraer 175 aircraft to Mesa’s United Express fleet. Mesa currently operates 30 Embraer aircraft for United Airlines. In addition to the E175s, Mesa operates 20 Bombardier CRJ700 aircraft under the United Express brand.

The E175’s 76-seat dual-class configuration features 12 First-Class, 16 Premium Economy and 48 Coach seats. The aircraft has Inflight Wi-Fi connectivity, leather seating and electric outlets in First Class.

Copyright Photo: Brian McDonough/AirlinersGallery.com. Mesa Airlines’ Embraer ERJ 170-200LR (ERJ 175) N85320 (msn 17000454) arrives at Washington Reagan National Airport (DCA).

United Express-Mesa aircraft slide show: 

Republic Airways Holdings (Shuttle America) (Indianapolis) has issued this statement disputing a reported lawsuit by Delta Air Lines (Atlanta) claiming the carrier failed to fly its full contracted schedule according to the Indianapolis Business Journal:

Republic Airways Holdings Inc. has been made aware of a complaint filed by Delta. The Company has not been served and has not received the full complaint and therefore cannot comment further on the matter at this time. Republic can confirm that the Company is not in breach of any of its capacity purchase agreements with any of its mainline partners, including both Delta Connection Agreements.

Republic Airways Holdings Inc., based in Indianapolis, Indiana, is an airline holding company that owns Republic Airlines and Shuttle America, collectively called “the airlines.” The airlines operate a combined fleet of about 240 aircraft and offer scheduled passenger service with approximately 1,250 flights daily to about 100 cities in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean through fixed-fee flights operated under our major airline partner brands of American Eagle, Delta Connection, United Express and US Airways Express. The airlines currently employ about 6,500 aviation professionals.

Copyright Photo: Keith Burton/AirlinersGallery.com. Shuttle America Embraer ERJ 170-200LR (ERJ 175) N202JQ (msn 17000240) in Delta Connection colors climbs away from Boston’s Logan International Airport.

Delta Connection-Shuttle America aircraft slide show: 

Delta Air Lines (Atlanta) will added Embraer 175 Delta Connection service (operated by Compass Airlines) between its Seattle/Tacoma hub and Orange County (John Wayne) starting on May 1, 2016.

The airline made this announcement:

Delta Air Lines’ hub at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport will continue to grow next spring with the launch of four daily flights to Orange County’s John Wayne Airport beginning May 1, 2016.

In all, Delta will launch service to ten destinations from Seattle/Tacoma between November 2015 and May 2016: Billings, Montana.; Boston; Cancun, Mexico; Edmonton, Alberta; Kona on Hawaii’s Big Island; Missoula, Montana; Orange County; Orlando; Pasco, Washington; and Victoria, British Columbia. Some service may be operated by Delta Connection carriers SkyWest Airlines and Compass Airlines.

Delta’s Seattle/Tacoma to Orange County flights will be operated by Delta Connection carrier Compass Airlines using Embraer 175 aircraft.

In other news, Delta will operate weekly Boeing 737-800 Cuban charters from Atlanta to Havana starting on April 2, 2016.

Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. Compass Airlines’ Embraer ERJ 170-200LR (ERJ 175) N612CZ (msn 17000201) taxies to the runway at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

Delta Air Lines aircraft slide show (current livery): 

Delta Connection-Compass aircraft slide show: 

SkyWest, Inc. (SkyWest Airlines) (St. George, Utah) today issued this statement:

SkyWest, Inc. announced today that it has entered into a Capacity Purchase Agreement (CPA) with Delta Air Lines (Atlanta) to operate 19 new Embraer E175 dual-class regional jet aircraft. SkyWest has determined that these 19 E175 aircraft will be operated by SkyWest Airlines, Inc. (St. George) a wholly-owned subsidiary of SkyWest. The CPA is under terms and conditions similar to SkyWest’s existing Delta agreements.

“SkyWest is a longtime Delta partner, and we’re pleased to advance our partnership with an additional aircraft type,” said Chip Childs, SkyWest, Inc. President. “As we continue to evolve our fleet mix, we look forward to continuing to deliver what our partners need through solid, reliable service.”

The aircraft will be flown in dual-class configuration of 76-seats, and will be equipped with Wi-Fi. Under the agreement, it is anticipated that delivery of the aircraft will begin in August 2016, with all 19 aircraft being delivered by mid-2017.

In related news, Embraer and SkyWest, Inc. have signed a firm order for an additional 19 E175s jets. The aircraft will be flown by SkyWest Airlines, Inc. a wholly-owned subsidiary of SkyWest, under a Capacity Purchase Agreement (CPA) with Delta Air Lines. The transaction will be included in Embraer’s 2015 fourth-quarter backlog. Delivery of the first aircraft is expected for the third-quarter of 2016.

SkyWest Airlines currently operates the E175 for Alaska Airlines (Alaska SkyWest) and United Airlines (United Express).

Image: Embraer.

Delta Connection-SkyWest aircraft slide show: 

Republic Airways Holdings Inc. (Republic Airlines 2nd and Shuttle America) (Indianapolis) has announced that the International Brotherhood of Teamsters’ (IBT) Local 357, which represent the approximately 2,100 pilots of Republic, have voted by a margin of 76% to ratify a new three-year contract, with approximately 85% of the eligible pilots voting.

The three-year agreement becomes effective on or about November 1. The agreement invests approximately $50 million a year on average over the three-year duration of the new agreement, including both the ratification bonus and the anniversary bonus. The new agreement includes significant improvements in work rules and pilot quality of life. Additionally, it establishes pay rates that recognize Republic’s pilots as leaders in the regional airline industry, including a transformational $40/hr first year new hire rate.

Copyright Photo: Tony Storck/AirlinersGallery.com. Embraer ERJ 170-200LR (ERJ 175) N135HQ (msn 17000224) of Republic Airlines operating as an American Eagle carrier arrives at Baltimore-Washington (BWI).

American Eagle-Republic aircraft slide show: 

SkyWest, Inc. (SkyWest Airlines and ExpressJet Airlines) (St. George, Utah) today reported financial and operating results for the quarter ended September 30, 2015.

SkyWest generated $36 million of net income for Q3 2015, or $0.71 per diluted share. Excluding special items, SkyWest’s net income for Q3 2014 was approximately $26 million, or $0.50 per diluted share.

Operating income for Q3 2015 was $78 million, an increase of 32% from Q3 2014 of $59 million.

SkyWest reported $77 million of net income for the nine months ended September 30, 2015, or $1.49 per diluted share, a $88 million improvement from the corresponding period of 2014, which had net loss of $11 million, excluding 2014 special items.

Commenting on the results, Chip Childs, SkyWest, Inc. President said, “Our third quarter results reflect continued progress in the optimization of our fleet and flying contract mix. These improvements, along with solid operating performance, have contributed to our increasing operating margins. Additionally, we look forward to operating the E175 aircraft with three of our major partners by mid-2016, and we believe our operating performance continues to create additional opportunities to improve our fleet mix and operating margins.”

Fleet Information:

Total aircraft in service at September 30, 2015 was 656, a net decrease of 84 aircraft from September 30, 2014 of 740 aircraft. Changes in SkyWest’s fleet mix are as follows:

Added 26 new E175 aircraft with United Airlines (“United”)
Added three new E175 aircraft with Alaska Airlines (“Alaska”)
Added twelve used CRJ200 aircraft with Delta Air Lines (“Delta”)
Added 16 used ERJ145 aircraft with American Airlines (“American”)

Combined, 57 aircraft were added year-over-year

Removed 36 EMB120 30-seat turbo-prop aircraft (“EMB120s”) from multiple partners
Removed 69 ERJ145/135 aircraft from service from United
Removed 36 CRJ200 aircraft from service with multiple partners

Combined, 141 aircraft were removed year-over-year

SkyWest’s aircraft in service decreased by 20 net aircraft from June 30, 2015 to September 30, 2015, with changes in fleet mix as follows:

Added five new E175 aircraft with United
Removed eleven ERJ145 aircraft from service with United
Removed 14 CRJ200 aircraft from service from multiple major airline partners

Under its fleet transition, SkyWest generated approximately 24,800 additional block hours with its dual class aircraft (CRJ700s/900s and E175s) during Q3 2015, compared to Q3 2014.

SkyWest also had a reduction of approximately 89,000 block hours with its less profitable 50-seat and smaller aircraft (CRJ200s, ERJ145s/135s and EMB120s) during Q3 2015, compared to Q3 2014.

Under an agreement announced in Q3 2015, SkyWest Airlines is scheduled to place 18 additional new E175 aircraft into service with United, with anticipated scheduled delivery dates from Q4 2016 to Q2 2017. SkyWest Airlines is currently scheduled to have a total of 58 E175s in service with United by the end of Q2 2017.

Under a previously announced agreement, SkyWest Airlines is scheduled to take delivery of twelve new E175 aircraft for Alaska from Q4 2015 to Q4 2016. SkyWest is currently scheduled to have a total of 15 E175s in service with Alaska by the end of Q4 2016.

Under an agreement announced last week, SkyWest Airlines is scheduled to take delivery of 19 new E175 aircraft for Delta from Q3 2016 through mid-2017.

The following reflects expected E175 aircraft that SkyWest anticipates will be placed into service by period:
Airline Q4 2015  2016  2017   Cumulative Total End of 2017
United         –            7        11                        58
Delta            –         13          6                        19
Alaska         2         10          –                         15
Total            2         30        17

Copyright Photo: Tony Storck/AirlinersGallery.com. SkyWest Airlines is already operating the Embraer 175 for Alaska Airlines. Alaska Skywest-titled Embraer ERJ 170-200LR (ERJ 175) N170SY (msn 17000483) taxies at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA).

Alaska SkyWest aircraft slide show: 

Alaska Airlines (Seattle/Tacoma) today began flying four new routes that enhance its West Coast network. The new routes are between: Portland, Oregon, and Austin, Texas; Eugene, Oregon, and San Jose, California; Los Angeles and Monterey, California; and Boise, Idaho and Reno, Nevada.

All flights, except the Portland-Austin route, will be operated by Alaska’s sister carrier Horizon Air, using a 76-seat Bombardier Q400 aircraft.

The Portland-Austin flights will be operated for Alaska by SkyWest Airlines, using new 76-seat Embraer 175 jets. The E175 jet features 12 seats in first class and 64 in coach, and with cabin dimensions on par with a 737.

Copyright Photo: Tony Storck/AirlinersGallery.com. Alaska SkyWest (SkyWest Airlines) Embraer ERJ 170-200LR (ERJ 175) N171SY (msn 17000485)

Alaska Horizon aircraft slide show: 

Alaska SkyWest aircraft slide show: 

Compass Airlines (Minneapolis/St. Paul) (American Eagle and Delta Connection) has issued this statement about increasing the First Officer first-year pay in order to attract new pilots:
Compass Airlines is pleased to announce that the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) for its pilot group has been amended to increase first year, First Officer pay to $35.81 per flight hour. An additional highlight of the amended CBA is the provision of four paid hotel stays per month for commuting pilots. The amendment also gives Compass the flexibility to quickly raise first year pay in response to market conditions. The agreement was reached as part of a voluntary mediated settlement of a number of outstanding issues between Compass Airlines and its pilot group, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA).

The amendments to the contract are effective immediately.

Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. Compass Airlines Embraer ERJ 170-200LR (ERJ 175) N638CZ (msn 17000259) departs from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).

Delta Connection-Compass Airlines aircraft slide show: