OREANDA-NEWS. June 14, 2016. Piedmont Airlines, a wholly owned subsidiary of the American Airlines Group Inc. (Nasdaq:AAL), will pay a \\$15,000 signing bonus to all new hire pilots, effective immediately. Piedmont employees will also collect \\$5,000 for every pilot they refer to the airlines.

“We’re hoping that the \\$15,000 signing bonus will encourage more pilots to look at Piedmont as a career choice,” said Lyle Hogg, Piedmont Airlines president and CEO. “Piedmont offers a very quick upgrade from first officer to captain and a guaranteed job at American Airlines in a few years, so it’s a great career option. The \\$15,000 will help experienced pilots transition to Piedmont, and help new pilots pay off some student loans.”

Pilots who come to Piedmont enjoy a generous benefits package including excellent health care and 401(k) with company match. Piedmont provides hotel rooms for commuting pilots and industry-leading flight benefits on American Airlines.

Piedmont employees can earn some cash, too.  Employees who refer a pilot to the company will collect \\$5,000 if their pilot is hired, passes training and stays with the company for six months. “It’s a great opportunity for all of our employees to participate in our recruiting efforts,” Hogg said. “Any employee can recommend a friend or family member pilot through our Human Resources department and get rewarded with a bonus for doing so. It now means we have 7,000 people recruiting for Piedmont Airlines, and that’s exciting.”

Piedmont plans to hire more than 200 pilots in 2016. Piedmont will hold pilot information sessions and on-site interviews at Philadelphia International Airport on June 17; in Newark, N.J. (Newark Airport Marriott) on June 23 and in New York City (JFK Courtyard Marriott) on June 24. Details are available online at Piedmont-airlines.com.

Pilots with questions about flying for Piedmont can email flyPiedmont@aa.com.

About Piedmont Airlines

Piedmont Airlines, Inc. is headquartered in Salisbury, Md. and employs 7,000 aviation professionals across the United States. Piedmont recently expanded its fleet to include Embraer regional jets, and continues to operate a fleet of 37 Bombardier DHC-8 turbo prop aircraft on nearly 300 flights per day to 51 East Coast cities. Piedmont crew bases are located in Philadelphia, Pa.; Salisbury-Ocean City, Md.; Roanoke, Va. and Harrisburg, Pa. Piedmont Airlines Ground Handling team, a recognized industry leader in customer service and safety, can be found in 80 airports across the country.