Day rates for contract pilots of popular business aircraft have increased dramatically over the last year, according to data from CrewBlast, a technology-driven private aviation and yacht staffing company. Data reported by CrewBlast users indicates the increases are across almost every category of business aircraft, but the most dramatic for some large-cabin business jets, with select domestic day rates rising 25 percent or more.
Captain rates for Bombardier Globals (excluding the Model 7500) are up from $1,500 last year to between $2,000 and $2,500; for Challenger 300 series from $1,300 to between $1,800 and $2,000; for Citation Sovereigns from $1,250 to between $1,500 and $1,800; and for Hawker 900s from $1,200 to between $1,500 and $1,700. According to CrewBlast, the top type ratings among crew users of the platform were for Gulfstream G550/G650; Bombardier Challenger 300, 604, and Global Express; Cessna Citation Sovereign and XLS+; Dassault Falcon 7X; Embraer Legacy 600; and Hawker 900XP.
The CrewBlast data confirms continuing trends in business jet crewing and comes at a time when Delta Air Lines has boosted top pilot pay almost 34 percent, to nearly $600,000 annually, and pilot unions across the country at almost every carrier, including fractional provider NetJets, are aggressively negotiating for higher pay.