Hey everyone,
I’ve been struggling to find a concrete answer to this situation. I unfortunately had a bad situation and was charged with an unlawful possession of a firearm in July of 2017. I live in PA, had a permit to carry, crossed state lines into NJ and… the rest is history. This charge, however, will be expunged shorty through the court. I know regional airlines do 10 year FBI checks but I contacted my lawyer and he said it would not show up on any FBI background checks unless in a job of law enforcement or a member of judiciary. Would I be able to interview with regional airlines and not have this be an issue? Thank you!
Donald,
If the situation is as honest as you described I don’t see this being an issue. People make mistakes. Although the charge will be expunged, it will be known to whatever airline you Interview for. So, be honest about it. This is true about anything on one’s record, if you try to hide what happened, interview over.
Tory
Donald,
The reason you’re having trouble finding a concrete answer is because there isn’t one. Recruiters don’t have a chart that says “one felony arrest -10 points”. Depending on the airline you may be asked "have you ever been arrested and/or convicted which you have. Whether your record has been expunged or not really doesn’t matter. If this is all you have you should be fine but it most probably will come up. How you deal with that conversation is as important as the crime.
Adam
Donald,
The airlines ask “have you ever…” So it really doesn’t matter what a background check does or does not show, you will need to answer the question truthfully and if you are found to be lying, you will either be terminated or not hired.
I also think you need to take some more ownership of your actions. You had a PA permit and knowingly crossed into one of the most anti-gun states in the country. Either this was willful or it was negligent. The airlines want to see you take ownership of your mistakes and learn from them, not try to hide them.
To directly answer your question, if you have a felony conviction I do not think that any airline will hire you. If it is a misdemeanor, your chances are better.
Chris
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