That’s my point. It takes time to scale the business and generate the cash flow to pay the pilots industry-competitive wages. You can’t expect union representation right off the bat (but hopefully eventually). I imagine, like JB, stock options will be used to attract initial pilots.

Labor has a cost just like fuel. You dont get a discount on fuel as a new airline.

You do when Skywest pilots exists and already fly for a non union airline for not great wages. Throw in a new jet on top of it and let them wear their sunglasses inside and you have your ready made pilot group.

You didn't have to say skywest, everyone would have figured out who you are talking about just by the description ��.
A very special pilot group they are

That’s funny. SWA has a union pretty early. It was also embraced by management.

But you DO get a discount in labor. In a brand new airline even the most senior guy is still going to be on the first year of the payscale - whatever that is. On a legacy airline the MEDIAN guy is half way to retirement and probably is at year 12.

But history has shown that you do get a discount on labor. That's frankly a key enabler to airline startups, and it's pretty uncommon outside of aviation.

All the more reason to have blockbuster pay and work rules instead of bargain basement bottom feeder...

...ooooo look shiny airplanes

I don’t know, but I would imagine, like was the case with JB and a lot of startups, stock options will be thrown out in the mix.... Who knows? It’s possible because you need to attract qualified and experienced pilots somehow...

Do you really think that will be necessary? I think “qualified and experience” is a moving target based on the application stack; big shiny jet and whatever minimums their insurance requires, there will be plenty of applicants to get this startup going.