Piedmont enters cadet programme partnership with K-State Salina

Piedmont Airlines (Piedmont), a wholly owned subsidiary of American Airlines Group Inc., has entered a cadet programme partnership with the Kansas State University Polytechnic Campus in Salina, Kansas (K-State Salina).

The carrier will offer tuition reimbursement and conditional employment to select certified flight instructors (CFIs). Once a CFI reaches the required Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate, he or she will join Piedmont as a first officer and is guaranteed a job at American Airlines. The programme provides a bonus for every 100 hours of flight time until CFIs reach the required ATP minimums.

“Pilots who fly for Piedmont upgrade very quickly and then transition to American Airlines,” said Lyle Hogg, the airlines’ President and CEO. “Our cadet program is a great opportunity for students who want to pursue a commercial flying career. It allows them to gain valuable flying experience before coming to fly for Piedmont and then on to the world’s largest airlines.”