Delta Air Lines today said it reached a tentative agreement with its pilots union, which this week was mustering resources for a strike that could have disrupted travel and potentially crippled the bankrupt carrier.
Subject to court approval and a vote from pilots, the agreement followed what the Air Line Pilots Associations called "countless" meetings between the carrier and the union, which represents Delta's roughly 6,000 pilots. ALPA said it expects the tentative agreement to be presented to the union's governing body in the approaching weeks. Neither Delta nor ALPLA would disclose details of the agreement.
"Delta passengers can continue to book on Delta with confidence," the carrier's executive vice president and CFO Edward Bastian said in a statement. "There has been no disruption to our service. Our pilots are performing professionally, flying as scheduled, and together with all Delta employees, are taking good care of our customers."
The carrier also noted that, "barring any disruptions," it is moving forward to "achieve approximately 70 percent of its business plan's benefits by the end of this year, with the goal of successfully emerging from bankruptcy in 2007."
Meanwhile, Delta along with Northwest matched to some degree American Airlines and others in upping long-haul fuel surcharges
(BTNonline, April 12). Beginning today, Delta is levying a $10-per-way charge on tickets for most transatlantic flights, except those to and from France and Italy. Flights to or from India and Israel will have an added $15 and $19 each way, respectively.
Northwest today said that in most cases it is raising its fuel surcharge by $10 each way on flights to Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Surcharges on flights to India, however, remain the same.