GoJet Airlines announced that its pilot group, represented by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, has passed a Tentative Agreement on a new five year contract.The new contract increases first year First Officer pay to $36.50 per flight hour and increases Captain pay to $67.39 per flight hour, taking GoJet to the top of the regional airline industry in terms of pay for the CRJ700/900 aircraft. The contract, which includes provisions for a 75 hour minimum monthly line guarantee, also increases per diem pay, premium pay, holiday pay, and international pay. Additionally, the new contract provides numerous other enhancements, including hotel rooms for commuting pilots and improvements to pilots’ healthcare and retirement packages.
“These improvements, combined with our fast Captain upgrades and minimal reserve time, will allow us to continue attracting top aviation talent,” said Rick Leach, President and Chief Executive Officer at GoJet Airlines. “The pilot shortage affecting regional airlines and the entire aviation industry is real, and has made recruiting pilots more difficult than ever before. This new contract will ensure that we remain competitive in a very challenging hiring environment.”
“This is an outstanding contract that will take these GoJet pilots to the top of the regional industry in pay and benefits for the CRJ700 and CRJ900 aircraft,” said Captain David Bourne, Director of the Teamsters Airline Division. “Over 90 percent of the pilots voted in this election and those that voted approved the contract almost 2-to-1. That high level of participation speaks volumes about the quality and scope of this agreement.”
The new contract will go into effect in March of 2016.
GoJet Airlines is a premier regional carrier operating as United Express and Delta Connection. GoJet flies the Bombardier CRJ700 and CRJ900, two of the youngest and most technologically advanced regional jets in the industry. It has a total fleet size of 47 CRJ700s and 7 CRJ900s. GoJet serves over 4.5 million passengers annually, with more than 220 daily flights providing service to over 60 destinations. GoJet is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, and has crew bases in St. Louis, Chicago, Raleigh-Durham and Denver.