Republic Airways Orders 100 E-Jet Aircraft

Republic Airways announced today that its has finalized a deal with Embraer to order 100 E175 aircraft. The order was originally announced early this spring at the Farnborough International Airshow in Farnborough, England.

The airline will begin taking deliveries of the new airplanes in the second half of 2020. The agreement also provides Republic with options to purchase an additional 100 airplanes and will allow the airline to convert any of its orders to Embraer’s new E175-E2 variant.

“This order represents another significant advance in our long-standing partnership with Embraer and positions the airline to capitalize on growth opportunities we see developing over the next five years, as more than 300 regional aircraft flown by our competitors reach their natural expiry,” Republic President and CEO Bryan Bedford said. “As the fleet leader on the E-Jet, we know the product better than anyone in the industry, and we believe the E-Jet positions Republic to deliver differentiated value to our codeshare partners and the flying public.”

Republic Airways began purchasing Embraer aircraft in 1999 starting with the ERJ 145. Since then the airline has acquired 350 Embraer airplanes. Republic currently operates 190 Embraer 170/175 aircraft on behalf of its codeshare partners American Eagle, Delta Connection, and United Express.

“As we expressed at Farnborough, Republic has been one of our largest and most valuable customers for nearly 20 years, and the confirmation of this order ensures Embraer will be in a position to continue providing a product that appeals to their customers’ increasing demands, while delivering on improved economics,” said John Slattery, president and CEO, Embraer Commercial Aviation. “Expanding such a valuable partnership for years to come is a great way to end what has been a very busy and productive year at Embraer,” Slattery continued.

Large Airplane Orders Impact on Pilot Jobs

A large airplane order such as this can be a predictor of either an increase or shifting of pilot jobs. As Bedford mentioned, Republic is positioning itself to attempt to acquire flying from other regional airlines as their airplanes age.

There will be an increase in capacity for airlines and thus fleet growth among legacy airlines and their regional partners in the coming years. Some of the airplanes ordered by Republic will likely be used for this growth. But the amount of fleet growth allowed to be outsourced to regional airlines is limited by scope agreements.

Republic Airways Pilot Jobs

Republic Airways has pilot job openings listed on its website. The airline lists the following as minimum requirements:

• Possess a valid driver’s license
• Have a valid US passport or foreign passport
• Authorized to work in the United States
• Must meet ATP Minimums (or applicable R-ATP Mins)
• ATP Written complete
• High School diploma or GED with a Bachelor’s Degree Preferred
• Prior customer service experience

Republic Airways LIFT Aviation Training Academy

In addition to other pilot recruiting efforts, Republic Airways recently launched a training academy. Leadership In Flight Training (LIFT) was started in 2018 with the goal to provide high school graduates, military veterans and career changers a direct path to pilot to employment with Republic Airways.