American Airlines is set to raise pilot pay on par with Delta. including a 40% cumulative raise in the potential four-year deal, CEO Robert Isom said in a message to pilots.
Last week, Delta became the largest US airline to reach a new contract with 15,000 of its pilots. He confirmed a four-year deal that gives him a 34% cumulative raise and other quality-of-life improvements. The deal sets the stage for other airlines and unions to reach agreement.
The Covid travel slump stalled contract negotiations, and demand returned when pilots demanded better compensation and schedules.
“Let me be clear, American is prepared to match Delta’s pay rates and offer American pilots the same profit-sharing formula as Delta’s pilots,” Isom said in the message to the pilots, sent Tuesday and to CNBC Viewed by.
Isom said an agreement could include a 21% pay raise in the first year of the contract. Factoring in higher 401(k) contributions by the end of the four-year deal, a captain flying narrow-body planes will earn $475,000 at the top of the scale, up $135,000 from current salaries, while the most senior captain of wide-body aircraft will make $475,000 at the top of the scale. year earns $590,000, which is $170,000 more than today.
Isom also vowed for better scheduling and “greater certainty” when pilots take off. Pilots across the industry have complained about frequent schedule changes during the airlines’ rocky road to rebuilding networks to meet high travel demand. Aviators have also been in short supply.
The Allied pilots association, the American Airlines Pilots Union, did not immediately comment on Isom’s statement.
