Pilots of Delta Air Lines concur with the agreement to increase compensation by more than 30%

A new deal that would increase the wages of union pilots at other major U.S. airlines by more than 30% over four years was easily accepted by the pilots of Delta Air Lines. According to the Air Line Pilots Association, 78% of voting Delta pilots approved of the deal. Over 15,000 pilots work for Delta. When big airlines hire from their ranks, smaller carriers are facing a pilot shortage. Despite claims from the largest airlines that they have enough pilots, the scarcity has given unions the power to negotiate for substantial wage hikes. According to the union, the Delta agreement would result in pay increases of $7 billion. After pilot picketing last summer and around six months after Delta pilots' decision to ratify the agreement, sanction a strike. Darren Hartmann, a pilot and union leader, credited the Delta pilots' cohesion and drive for the contract's success. The agreement "recognises our pilots' efforts to Delta," according to John Laughing, the airline's chief operating officer, who is located in Atlanta. He claimed that the goal of the agreement was to maintain Delta as a top employer of aviation professionals. The agreement goes into force on Thursday and is valid until 2026, after which it may be modified. Federal legislation stipulates that union contracts in the airline sector never expire.