Flexjet Boosts Pay for Red Label Pilots

Fractional provider Flexjet recently announced “substantial salary increases” for Red Label pilots, making them what it claims are the highest paid in the industry. Pilots flying for Red Label, Flexjet’s premium offering, are assigned to a specific aircraft tail number and are managed in a small-team environment.

Under the new pay scale, Flexjet said, first-year pilots using the preferential bid schedule could make $80,000 per year; a fifth-year Challenger 350 pilot could earn as much as $176,000; and a third-year Red Label chief aircraft commander flying a Gulfstream G650 could earn $205,000 annually. Red Label pilots also receive quarterly bonus incentives based on performance.

In response to “unprecedented business growth and flight demand,” the company intends to expand its fleet by 14 percent, which will require growth in pilot ranks by 25 percent this year. Flexjet believes that its pay and benefits will allow it to fill these open positions despite the looming pilot shortage.

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Meanwhile, Flexjet's pilots, along with those at sister group Flight Options, are currently voting on whether or not to remain unionized. The NMB-overseen voting period began May 2 and ends May 30.