Republic Airline celebrated the new year by adding eight aircraft to its fleet and is on track to grow its stable of E170s and 175s by more than 16 percent in 2017.
The regional carrier, which operates codeshare agreements with the three majors, started the year with 162 aircraft in service. By the time fall rolls around, Republic expects to be operating 188 aircraft in support of all three lines of flying.
“An airline is all about its people, but there’s no doubt that adding new aircraft to the fleet makes those people excited,” Paul Kinstedt, Republic’s chief operating officer told AeroCrew News. “No matter whether you work on the flight deck, in the cabin, or in the office, there’s just something about that ‘new plane smell’ that puts a spring in your step.”
Of the 26 new aircraft, eight are dedicated to supporting American Eagle operations and entered service in January. Six E170s are coming into the fleet this spring and will be dedicated to supporting Delta’s operation while the other 12 – brand-new E175s – will be flying in United Express livery. The new aircraft start arriving on property in March and should all be commissioned and in service by October.
“Our growth is a sign of confidence by our codeshare partners,” said Kinstedt. “They know that we’re operating at a high level of efficiency and reliability. This is how we’ve historically run our business and it’s gratifying to see a recognition of our performance by our partners.”
Supporting these additional aircraft means Republic will need to continue its aggressive hiring for pilots, flight attendants, technicians and other classifications. The company’s recruiting experts report hiring to support growth is exciting.
“People don’t just look at the job; they look at the company, too,” said Lauren McNamara, Republic’s college relations consultant. “They want to know where the company is headed, where there are opportunities for growth, challenges and advantages. They want to know the culture and how the company connects to its employees. That’s why whenever we go on a college visit or a job fair, we bring current employees with us to tell prospects what it’s like to work at Republic. When we can talk about a company that’s growing, that is moving forward, it makes the company more attractive and recruiting that much easier.”
For more information about a career as a Republic Airline pilot, visit rjetcareers.jobs/pilots.
