For many small to midsize communities across North America, regional air service is essential to connect their travelers and businesses with the world.
And many of those communities have received an upgrade in recent years. Regional airplanes such as the Embraer 175 are larger – carrying more customers and offering more amenities than ever before. The same large regional aircraft offer connections to new routes outside of the traditional hub-and-spoke model, and for larger communities, regional aircraft are able to supplement mainline service to offer travelers more options and flight frequency to reach their destinations.
Regional carriers that are able to adapt to this changing industry dynamic – larger aircraft, higher quality, more complex routing and frequencies for customers – are well positioned to succeed.
Envoy Air is one carrier that we’re keeping our eyes on for success.
Here We Grow
As the largest regional carrier for American Airlines, Envoy Air operates more than 800 daily flights to 160 destinations across North America. Nearly 20,000 employees provide ground handling and regional airline service to thousands of American’s customers every day.
Envoy continues to focus on growth, with firm fleet commitments for at least 169 total Embraer E-Jet aircraft (126 E175 / 43 E170). The company currently operates more than 130 E-Jet aircraft and plans to accept 29 aircraft through 2024.
“Our measured, sustainable success is a direct outcome of Envoy’s commitment to our core principles of Safety, Quality and Cost,” said Envoy President & CEO, Pedro Fábregas. “These three principles are central to everything that we do.”
To support this fleet growth, in 2022, Envoy announced a new crew and aircraft maintenance base at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) to support Arizona, California and US west operations.
“The Embraer 175 is a premium regional aircraft for customers traveling to destinations across North America and we’re pleased that American has selected Envoy to operate more E175 flights out of its Phoenix hub,” said Envoy Senior Vice President, Air Operations, Dee Temples. “Phoenix is a location that complements our network and ensures that we continue to attract and hire the best of the best pilots, flight attendants and mechanics to Envoy.”
Pilot Quality of Life
For pilots, especially those with experience flying for another regional airline, there’s never been a better time to join a growing regional carrier. Along with a “longevity match” to compensate for experience gained at another FAA Part 121 carrier, Envoy pilots enjoy other quality of life perks, such as deadhead pay, long-call reserve and Captain pay as soon as you reach 750 hours of 121.436 time as a First Officer.
Earn Up to $100K Paid on Day 0
Experienced pilots with qualifying Part 121.436 flight time who receive a conditional job offer from now through March 31, 2024 are eligible to receive up to $100,000 in sign-on bonuses. This limited-time offer will give $100,000 to pilots with at least 950 qualifying Part 121.436 flight hours and $75,000 to pilots with 500 to 949 qualifying Part 121.436 flight hours. The full amount of these bonuses (after taxes) will be paid on Day Zero – the day before training. To receive this bonus, eligible pilots must accept a conditional job offer before March 31, 2024 and must be assigned a class within 90 days of receipt of a conditional job offer.
Once Pilots start at Envoy, they have opportunities to earn referral bonuses for referring qualified pilots to Envoy. Pilots can earn up to $10,000 per referral of a qualified pilot. Applicants with greater than or equal to 750 hours of 121.436 qualifying flight time can be referred for this program. Envoy welcomes candidates from other commercial regional airlines, but some may be cargo pilots, military pilots, or pilots who have earned their eligible hours elsewhere.
Questions? Contact a Recruiter: envoypilotrecruitment@aa.com
It’s always about the people
Did you know that Envoy is a minority-majority company? That means that more than 50% of its employees identify as a member of a minority group. To build on this existing diversity, Envoy continues to partner with industry organizations to continue to promote this unique dynamic across the organization.
Some of the company’s industry partners include the National Gay Pilot Association (NGPA), Professional Asian Pilot Association (PAPA), Latino Pilot Association (LPA), the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals (OBAP) and Women in Aviation International (WAI).
Meet Gustavia
Gustavia Cartwright is an artist first, and then she’s a pilot. When she was six years old, she would fill her mother’s walls with drawings of dresses and gowns – and her mother would let her.
“My mom has been very supportive through every change in my life and career,” said Envoy First Officer Gustavia Cartwright. “I’d draw all over her walls when I was kid, and she would just paint them white and let me do it all over again.”
When Gustavia left Texas A&M with a degree in bioenvironmental sciences and found a job in civil engineering, she felt like she was lacking something. Or rather something was tying her down.
With the understanding and blessing of her family, Gustavia sought a career in aviation as a flight attendant for American Airlines.
“I have too much energy to sit at a desk all day,” she said. “Becoming a flight attendant seemed like the best job I could pick.”
Until the day she sat in the jump seat of a Boeing 777 during a ferry flight from Santiago, Chile. The view of the mountains, the thrust of the engine, the feeling of freedom – all hit Gustavia like a ton of bricks. The pilots flying the jet got wind of Gustavia’s background in civil engineering and encouraged her to become a pilot.
“I thought to myself, ‘Why not?’” Gustavia said. “That moment was so special and amazing, I needed to become a pilot!”
So, she did.
Through Envoy’s Cadet Program, Gustavia found flight training and a job as a Certified Flight Instructor at American Flyers in Addison, Texas. Eventually, she transferred to Coast Flight Training in San Marcos, Texas where she was promoted to Assistant Chief and finished her hours to become a first officer.
“Envoy is the original American Eagle and a wholly-owned regional of American, so it was the best choice for me to get to mainline,” said Gustavia.
Last year, at the Women in Aviation International Conference, Gustavia was given a Conditional Job Offer to fly for American. Her goal once she reaches mainline is to become a Captain on a Boeing 787 flying international routes.
In the meantime, Gustavia is determined to increase the number of women on the flight deck through her involvement with the Girl Scouts and the C.R. Smith Museum. Once a month, Gustavia said she loves to have her Bill Nye “The Science Guy” moment and teach meteorology to young girls at the museum.
“I feel like kids need to see people like them in the roles they want to live,” said Gustavia. “Some of them are shocked to see that, yes, there are women pilots, and they want to take pictures with me.”
She also makes it a point to inspire them and share advice she wished she had received when she was their age. First, Gustavia suggests having a vision board to remind them of their goals.
“It’s the first thing you see when you wake up, and if you haven’t crossed something off of it, you know it’s time to get up and grind,” she said. “I also remind them to be focused and determined. Don’t let anything hold you back. You will get there.”
Gustavia also reminds herself to keep her original dream alive of establishing her own clothing line and owning a storefront selling women’s clothing.
“I will revive my clothing line one day,” she said. “I have to remember that first and foremost, I’m an artist. I want to bring that back.”
As she said of herself, Gustavia “can’t just sit still,” so she’s already in the process of completing a line of outfits she’s creating at a studio in Los Angeles. One of her outfits, she hopes to make out of seatbelts from a Boeing 777 – showcasing her artistry and her newfound passion for aviation.
Women of Envoy
Gustavia’s story is just one example of how Envoy continues to recognize its team. For management teams, the Women of Envoy (WE) program is working hard to increase women representation in management roles, and the program is seeing success.
“WE initially began as a way to create networking opportunities for women at Envoy who may not normally have the chance to interact with one another in their daily roles,” said Envoy Vice President of Human Resources & Employment Counsel and WE co-founder, Chanen Lively. “Since then, not only has our group grown in size, but those mentors and mentees have grown in their confidence and ability to further their goals, both in their careers and in their personal lives.”
Every quarter, WE invites members to a networking event where each participant is encouraged to bring along another woman from Envoy as their guest. Additionally, a guest speaker is invited to each event to discuss a specific topic with the group – from goalsetting to dealing with the imposter phenomenon, attendees get the chance to hear from subject-matter experts in an open and encouraging environment.
“By opening up these avenues of conversation, we’re learning that more of us experience similar challenges than we thought,” said Envoy Managing Director of Financial Services and WE co-founder, Mindi Kimmell. “Discussing these concepts together allows us to learn from and empower one another.”
Through the efforts made by the leaders involved in WE, more women in the company have elevated their level of confidence and created more informed plans to accomplish their goals.
“Our goal is to provide an encouraging environment for women to succeed, no matter what their idea of success may be,” said Envoy Vice President of LAX & West Region and WE co-founder, Deesha Desai. “Whether you’ve been in your role for a while and are pursuing a promotion, or you strive to master the role you’re currently in – WE wants to provide the resources women need to maximize their potential on whatever path they pursue.”
The group continues to promote its formalized mentorship and talent-development programs to ensure that women across Envoy continue to build their careers and find success with the carrier.
So, what’s next?
More aircraft and more destinations don’t just mean more employees – this movement creates opportunities for rapid career advancement, whether your destination is at the regional level, or you have your sights set on a mainline carrier such as American Airlines.
While all workgroups are experiencing high demand, those with FAA certification – especially dispatchers, pilots and airframe & powerplant (A&P) mechanics – are especially in high demand at the carrier.
So, whether you’re just starting out in aviation, already working for another carrier, or are looking into a career change, there’s a place for you at Envoy. To learn more about opportunities at Envoy, visit envoyair.com or
connect through one of the emails below.
✉️ Pilot Recruitment
envoypilotrecruitment@aa.com
✉️ A&P Mechanic Recruitment
Envoy.HireMTX@aa.com
✉️ Flight Attendant Recruitment
Envoy.FA.Recruitment@aa.com
