Originally Posted by Otterbox

Piedmont has provisions in their contract for ERJ 170/5... they’ll likely get them if AAs pilot group caves and gives scope relief during its next round of contract negotiations or AA cancels it’s contract with a ERJ 170/175 operator like Republic.

Otherwise, Piedmont is currently taking 2 jets a month this year and slated to take 3 jets a month starting next year to cover the transition from its props and cover expansion to take over some of the lift shed when AWAC got its contract cancelled and the downsizing Envoy’s top heavy pilot group.

Medium term guessing is AA cancelling its lift with some more expensive and/ or unreliable 50 seat carriers (They’ve already got a list of prospective candidates aside from AWAC) and shifting that to Piedmont to continue its growth.

Two years ago PDT had something like 450 pilots, today it has 650 something and is slated to expand to 1000-1500 as it picks up more of AAs regional lift requirements.