Delta Pilots Approve Four-Year Contract With 34% Raises

As travel rebounds from the pandemic, carriers big and small are scrambling to hire pilots. But some airline executives say a 2013 regulation is standing in the way, and they want the government to revisit the so-called 1,500-hour rule. WSJ’s Shelby Holliday explains. Photo: David Fang for WSJ

By Andrew Tangel

Updated March 1, 2023 2:47 pm ET

Delta Air Lines Inc.’s pilots ratified a new contract that provides 34% pay increases over a four-year agreement, setting a potential bar as other U.S. carriers and their pilots’ unions pursue similar contract negotiations.

Delta said the agreement, which runs through December 2026, would position the airline’s approximately 15,000 pilots to continue leading the industry in total compensation and work-rule improvements. The Air Line Pilots Association, which represents Delta pilots, said 78% of the Atlanta-based carrier’s pilots ratified the agreement.