Delta Air Lines raises employee salaries by 5% as travel resumes

Delta Air Lines raises employee pay by 5%, the second time in less than a year it has raised employee pay as a surge in travel boosts carrier profits and the U.S. job market remains tight.

In May, Delta increased employee salaries by 4%, the first increase since the start of the pandemic.

“Given the magnitude of the losses we have suffered during the pandemic, including a $1 billion loss in the first quarter of last year, this is truly an outstanding achievement,” wrote CEO Ed Bastian. staff note on Tuesday. “I am confident that in the coming months and years our high performance culture will take us to the next level and this payout fund will continue to grow.”

Delta said the new increases go into effect April 1 and apply to ground workers and flight attendants. The Flight Attendant Association-CWA launched a campaign to unify Delta flight attendants in late 2019.

The pay increase does not apply to Delta pilots who vote on a new contract proposal that includes a 34% raise over four years. If ratified, pilot projects will receive an 18% increase on the day of signing.

Delta posted a $1.32 billion profit last year, bouncing back from record losses of more than $12 billion in 2020 at the height of the pandemic.

Bastian said Tuesday that Atlanta-based Delta also plans to pay its employees more than $550 million in total profits later this month.