CommuteAir Meets Future Pilots at Phoenix East Aviation’s Daytona Beach Campus in September 2026

Florida, USA – United Express carrier CommuteAir has participated in a United Aviate partner meet-and-greet at Phoenix East Aviation (PEA), giving students at the Daytona Beach flight school direct exposure to airline recruitment, interview preparation and career pathway information. The engagement connects PEA’s Aviate-participating students and instructors with a United Express operator that can form part of their experience-building pathway toward United Airlines.

• CommuteAir Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist Andrew Nicholson represented the airline during the event, engaging with prospective airline pilots on recruitment, interview preparation and airline career opportunities. PEA had separately announced a United Aviate campus event for September 15, 2026.
• PEA is a participating United Aviate flight school. Eligible students can apply after obtaining a Commercial Pilot Certificate with Instrument Rating; candidates accepted into Aviate receive a conditional United First Officer offer and access to coaching and travel privileges, subject to meeting the program’s subsequent experience and hiring requirements.
• CommuteAir is an Aviate-participating United Express carrier. United currently requires Aviate participants using the United Express pathway to complete 1,600 hours of Pilot in Command experience with an eligible United Express carrier before transitioning to United, together with the program’s other performance and employment requirements.
• CommuteAir’s current pilot recruitment requirements include FAA ATP or Restricted ATP minimums, a current First Class Medical, valid passport and authorization to work in the United States and travel internationally. The airline states that Aviate participants are preferred alongside candidates with prior Part 121 or Embraer 145 experience.
• The airline’s 2026 pilot recruitment material recommends that candidates apply through AirlineApps around six months before reaching minimum qualifications. CommuteAir currently offers a $20,000 First Officer bonus and lists Houston Intercontinental and Washington Dulles as its pilot bases.
• AFM previously reported that Phoenix East Aviation joined the United Aviate program in 2022, establishing a structured route through which eligible PEA students and instructors can enter United’s pilot career-development pathway. 

About Phoenix East Aviation
Phoenix East Aviation is an FAA Part 141 and Part 61 flight training organisation headquartered at Daytona Beach International Airport in Florida, with additional training operations in Fort Lauderdale and Flagler Beach. The academy reports a fleet of more than 70 aircraft, primarily Cessna 172 and Piper PA-34 training aircraft, alongside specialist upset-recovery capability. PEA has trained pilots since 1972 and reports more than 12,000 graduates. Its career-development offering includes participation in United Aviate alongside regular airline recruiter visits and student networking events.

About CommuteAir
CommuteAir is a US regional airline operating under the United Express brand. The airline currently reports 59 Embraer ERJ145 aircraft operating more than 200 daily flights, alongside an Embraer E170 used for charter activity, with crew bases at Houston Intercontinental and Washington Dulles.

Source: Andrew Nicholson, Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist, CommuteAir