FedEx Express Announces Purple Runway – A FedEx Pathways Program
April 02 2018 - 9:00AM
Business Wire
New Recruitment, Retention Program for Pilots
Wishing to Develop Skills, Experience at Feeders to Ultimately
Qualify for Opportunities at FedEx Express
FedEx Express (FedEx), a subsidiary of FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX),
announced today Purple Runway – A FedEx Pathways Program, an
industry-leading pilot development program designed to produce the
pilots of tomorrow.
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the full release here:
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FedEx Express rolls out "Purple Runway -
A FedEx Pathways Program," a pilot development program designed to
produce the pilots of tomorrow. (Photo: Business Wire)
In an effort to recruit the best aviators in the industry over
the coming years, FedEx Express created Purple Runway – A FedEx
Pathways Program to address the need to support the airline and its
feeder operators with a pipeline of highly trained and qualified
aviators.
In a speech on March 22, 2018 at Delta State University in
Cleveland, Miss., FedEx chairman and CEO Frederick W. Smith said
Purple Runway – A FedEx Pathways Program will play an important
role in the continuing growth and success of FedEx Express and its
third-party feeder operators in the company’s feeder fleet.
“FedEx is initiating a new, industry-leading pilot development
program to ensure a full pipeline of pilots for us and the industry
at large,” Smith said. The program is designed “to assist two of
our feeder operators with the recruitment and retention of pilots
who wish to develop their skills and experiences to eventually
qualify for pilot opportunities at FedEx.”
FedEx Express, along with its feeder operators at Mountain Air
Cargo and Empire Airlines, will have a collaborative outreach and
engagement program to promote student interest in aviation careers
at selected colleges and universities beginning with Delta State
University. As the program continues to roll out, FedEx and its
feeder operators will work with many other leading universities and
aviation colleges around the country to educate potential pilots
and other students interested in an aviation career on the
industry-leading aviation opportunities and development programs
available to them at both the feeder operators and at FedEx
Express.
“Empire Airlines is excited to be part of such a forward-looking
and innovative program,” said Tim Komberec, president and CEO of
Empire Airlines. “We believe this program will strengthen our
recruitment efforts and provide a pathway to one of the premier
flight careers in the world, FedEx Express.”
“Mountain Air Cargo is thrilled to be part of this exciting
opportunity,” said Craig Bentley, president and CEO of Mountain Air
Cargo. “This program will provide our airline with highly-skilled
and qualified pilots as well as create a pathway for these aviators
to follow their dreams and join FedEx Express.”
Purple Runway – A FedEx Pathways Program has three main
objectives:
- To further career development of pilots
during their employment with the feeder;
- To assist the feeder operator in its
efforts to recruit high-quality, well-trained candidates; and
- To provide FedEx Express with an early
opportunity to evaluate feeder pilots as potential applicants for
available FedEx Express trunk positions.
Earlier this year, FedEx announced the purchase of 30 ATR
72-600F aircraft with the option to purchase up to 20 more as a
first step to modernizing the company’s feeder fleet along with a
purchase agreement with Textron Aviation, Inc., to purchase 50
new-design Cessna SkyCourier 408F aircraft, with the option to
purchase up to 50 additional aircraft.
“These aircraft purchases are part of our long-term feeder fleet
strategy,” said Greg Hall, executive vice president of Air
Operations, FedEx Express. “That strategy will not only improve our
fuel efficiency and fleet reliability, but thanks to a
collaborative training program through Purple Runway – A FedEx
Pathways Program, we will create a reliable pipeline of
well-qualified pilot applicants for FedEx Express pilot jobs,
leveraging the experience they will gain in our feeder system.”
The FedEx Express feeder network is a strategic component of the
overall global linehaul network, serving markets too small for
direct FedEx Express air linehaul service and markets where FedEx
Express does not have operating rights. The feeder network is
composed of more than 300 aircraft serving 45 countries. Most of
these feeder aircraft are owned by FedEx and are leased and
operated by different third-party air carriers under their own
operating certificates. The FedEx feeder fleet is comprised of
aircraft under 60,000 pounds maximum gross take-off weight, and
allows the company to provide fast, economical service to small and
medium-sized markets around the world.
The FedEx feeder fleet complements the company’s jet fleet of
more than 360 aircraft, including Boeing 777s, B767s and B757s,
MD11s, MD10s, Airbus 300s and Airbus 310s.
More information on Purple Runway – A FedEx Pathways Program can
be found at: http://FedExPurpleRunway.com
About FedEx Express
FedEx Express is the world's largest express transportation
company, providing fast and reliable delivery to more than 220
countries and territories. FedEx Express uses a global
air-and-ground network to speed delivery of time-sensitive
shipments, by a definite time and date with a money-back
guarantee*.
*Subject to relevant terms and conditions.
About FedEx Corp.
FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) provides customers and businesses
worldwide with a broad portfolio of transportation, e-commerce and
business services. With annual revenues of $64 billion, the company
offers integrated business applications through operating companies
competing collectively and managed collaboratively, under the
respected FedEx brand. Consistently ranked among the world's most
admired and trusted employers, FedEx inspires its more than 425,000
team members to remain "absolutely, positively" focused on safety,
the highest ethical and professional standards and the needs of
their customers and communities. To learn more about how FedEx
connects people and possibilities around the world, please visit
about.fedex.com.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180402005289/en/
FedEx Media RelationsGretchen Mathis,
901-434-5701gretchen.mathis@fedex.com
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