Avelo Airlines Upgrades Pilot Compensation

Avelo continues to add direct-entry Captains and First Officers every month
Guaranteed flying and high seniority
Fast-track Captain upgrades
Highly desirable bases and excellent benefits
New Orlando flight training center opening in early 2024

HOUSTON, Oct. 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Avelo Airlines today announced it is upgrading pilot compensation to an hourly rate that exceeds all regional carriers and most Ultra-Low-Cost-Carriers (ULCC). The increase announced today is the fifth pay increase Avelo pilots have received since the airline took flight in April 2021.

Avelo currently employs nearly 170 pilots and continues to add Direct-Entry Captains and First Officers every month. In 2024 Avelo expects to add at least five additional American-made Boeing 737NGs to its current 16-aircraft fleet and will open a new state-of-the-art Pilot and Flight Attendant Training Center in Orlando at the beginning of the year.

Avelo Airlines Chairman and CEO Andrew Levy said, "The pay increase we are announcing today, combined with the other exceptional benefits and quality of life Avelo offers, will continue to make Avelo a very attractive destination for pilots. Our pilots play a critical role in Avelo's future, and we look forward to welcoming many more of these outstanding aviation professionals to our airline in the months and years ahead."

Avelo's first-year Captain hourly pay rate starts at $240 and tops out at $298 at year 12. The first-year hourly pay rate for First Officers starts at $131 and tops out at $201 at year 12. The airline also offers an incentive of 125% when pilots fly 75 hours or more.

Avelo is currently accepting applications for Direct-Entry Captains and First Officers. Pilots can learn more and apply at www.aveloair.com/pilots.

Avelo Airlines Chief Operating Officer Captain Greg Baden said, "At Avelo Airlines, pilots hire pilots. This is an exciting opportunity for both Direct Entry captains and young professional aviators to get in on the ground floor of an incredible journey as they continue their careers. The quality of life Avelo offers pilots is second to none, and with the lowest flight cancellation rate and the second best on-time performance year-to-date among U.S. carriers, our pilots get home everyday on-time."

The new pay scale is effective November 1, 2023.

Exceptional Benefits

• 70-Hour Guarantee Per Month
• High Seniority – from day one.
• Fast-Track Captain Upgrades – quick upgrade to Captain for pilots meeting the qualification of 14 CFR 121.436.
• Highly Desirable Bases – BUR, LAS, HVN, ILG, RDU and MCO. Easy to live in or easy to commute to.
• Base Scheduling – planes come home every night and so can Avelo pilots if they choose to live in a base for scheduled service.
• Per Diem – $2.25 per hour.
• Monthly Training Pay – $7,350 with single-occupancy hotel room and per diem.
• Paid Uniforms –initial company-paid uniform and a yearly uniform allowance.
• Excellent Health and Life Coverage – generously -subsidized health, vision, life and dental insurance.
• 401K – retirement savings program with company match.
• CASS and KCM – company-paid Full Cockpit Access Security System (CASS) and Known Crewmember (KCM) program.
• FAA Medical, License Disability Insurance – company-sponsored FAA medical certification representation and loss of license insurance through Harvey Watt & Co., short- and long-term disability insurance.
• Space Available Travel – Space available Avelo travel and reduced-rate travel on fast-growing roster of 34 U.S. and international carriers.
• Values-Based Culture – embracing Crewmembers and our Customers.
• High Customer Satisfaction – Avelo's travel-inspiring convenience, low fares and friendly service have earned the airline an industry-leading Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 52 over the past 30 days and 44 since Avelo began measuring NPS in June 2022.

Experienced Leadership

Avelo's leadership team embodies more than 400 years of collective aviation experience, including former executives from Allegiant Air, Delta Air Lines, Hawaiian Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Northwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines, United Airlines and US Airways. Avelo's senior leadership team includes:

• Founder, Chairman and CEO Andrew Levy: As co-founder and president of Allegiant Air — one of the nation's most successful airlines — and former CFO of United Airlines, Levy brings a proven track record of profitably leading airlines from startup to scale. He has also served on the Copa Airlines board of directors since 2016 and as a board member at AerSale – a leading supplier of aftermarket parts, whole assets and services to the commercial aerospace market.
• Chief Financial Officer Hunter Keay: Before joining Avelo, Keay was Managing Director at Wolfe Research, a sell-side research boutique located in New York City. From 2011 to 2022, he served as Wolfe's Senior Airline and Aerospace & Defense Analyst.
• Chief Operating Officer Captain Greg Baden: Captain Baden – with over 40 years of aviation experience and more than 20,000 flight hours - previously served as VP of Flight Operations at Allegiant Air, Managing Director of Flying at Delta Air Lines, and Managing Director of Flight Operations and Chief Pilot at Northwest Orient / Northwest.
• Head of Flight Operations Captain Scott Hall: Captain Hall brings over 30 years of aviation industry experience and has held various executive roles in operations, including VP of Flight Operations at ExpressJet Airlines, VP of Flight Operations at ATA Connection, and EVP at Airbahn Airlines.
• Chief Pilot Captain Bob Lieser: Captain Lieser brings more than 20,000 flight hours and four decades of commercial aviation and flight operations leadership experience to Avelo. During that period, he has flown for Virgin America, Midwest Airlines, Mesaba Airlines, and, most recently, Allegiant Air. For more than 10 years at Allegiant, Captain Lieser served as a Captain as well as other leadership roles, including Fleet Manager, Director of Pilot Training and Flight Standards, and, most recently, Director of Fleet Integration.
• Head of Safety, Security and Operational Excellence Captain Michael Quiello: Captain Quiello is an industry veteran renowned for his expertise in safety and flight operations. In addition to being qualified to fly various commercial aircraft, including 757s, 767s and 777s, he has held executive positions at Delta Air Lines and United Airlines, including overseeing safety at both companies. Prior to his career in the commercial sector, Captain Quiello served as a pilot in the Marine Corps, flying the A-6 Intruder, among other aircraft.
• Head of Technical Operations Gary Martin: In addition to 12 years of executive roles at renowned aerospace companies Honeywell Aerospace and Bombardier Aerospace, Martin has held engineering and base maintenance leadership roles with Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, America West Airlines, and Eastern Airlines. Additionally, he holds an FAA Airframe and Powerplant license.

About Avelo Airlines

Avelo Airlines was founded with a simple purpose — to Inspire Travel. The airline offers Customers time and money-saving convenience, low everyday fares, and a refreshingly smooth and caring experience through its Soul of Service culture. Operating a fleet of Boeing 737NG aircraft, Avelo serves 44 popular destinations across the U.S., including its six bases at Los Angeles' Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR), Southern Connecticut's Tweed-New Haven Airport (HVN), Orlando International Airport (MCO), the Philadelphia and Delaware Valley region's Wilmington Airport (ILG), Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) and Las Vegas' Harry Reid International Airport (LAS). For more information visit AveloAir.com or the Avelo Newsroom at AveloAir.com/Newsroom.

Media Contact:
Courtney Goff
[email protected] 

SOURCE Avelo Airlines