PSA Airlines

PSA Airlines is a wholly owned subsidiary of American Airlines operating as American Eagle, flying a fleet of around 130 Bombardier CRJ-700 and CRJ-900 regional jets from bases including Charlotte, Washington National and Philadelphia. Headquartered in Dayton, Ohio, it is one of three regional carriers American owns outright.

Flying for PSA Airlines

PSA runs a contractual flow-through to American mainline, which is the reason most pilots take the job: qualifying pilots move to an American First Officer position without a further interview. The usual path is hire as a new First Officer — often straight from training or through American's Cadet Academy — upgrade to Captain to build turbine pilot-in-command time, then flow. Direct entry requires an unrestricted FAA ATP with a multi-engine rating, with 1,500 hours the practical floor.

Cadet Academy entry is deliberately low-barrier on paper — a high school diploma or GED, the ability to obtain a first-class medical and a passport, English proficiency, a discovery flight and a background check — which pushes the real filtering onto the assessment and interview stages. Aptitude and personality testing there is what separates candidates who all meet the same published minimums.