American Airlines Group regional subsidiary Piedmont said on Tuesday that it is expanding its fleet by bringing dozens of Embraer 145 aircraft out of storage. The 50-seat aircraft, which have been parked at the small Pinal Airpark in Marana, Ariz. since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, will undergo an inspection and refurbishment process before reentering service.
The move to return these aircraft to storage, Piedmont says, stems from a “recent rebound of pilot hiring and the need for increased lines of flying to support the American Airlines network.”
According to Cirium Fleet Analyzer data, the regional airline currently has 59 active E145s in its fleet with 55 in storage. The carrier’s Vice President of Maintenance and Engineering Bill Arndt said pulling the first aircraft from long-term storage is a “big deal.”
“Bringing parked aircraft from storage and returning them to the line is a sure sign of recovery and growth for Piedmont,” added Arndt in a press release. “We are excited to be on our way to flying 70 aircraft and supporting the American Airlines network and our customers.”
The airline plans to bring two aircraft out of storage each month through February 2025, increasing its fleet to 70 aircraft. The process involves multiple steps, including an inspection at a maintenance facility in Abilene, Texas, followed by conformity checks in Richmond, Va. The entire process takes approximately two and a half months, the airline shared.
To support the expanded fleet, Piedmont is actively hiring aircraft maintenance technicians (AMTs). Arndt said the airline will need 42 new maintenance technicians to support the additional aircraft.
The first aircraft to return to service was N928AE, which ferried from Marana to Abilene in late June. All of the restored aircraft previously belonged to fellow American Airlines Group carrier Envoy.
Bolstering Regional Capacity
Hampered by the pilot shortage, many regional carriers were forced to park aircraft during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, with pilot hiring stabilizing, American is looking to return its regional fleet to full utilization.
“In the first quarter [of 2024], we operated the equivalent of around 465 fully utilized regional jets,” added American CFO Devon May during an April earnings call. “We expect that number to grow by 20 to 25 regional jets each quarter as we move throughout the year.”
American has three wholly-owned regional subsidiaries, including Envoy, Piedmont, and PSA.