Delta Air boosts worker pay 4% as bookings spring to life

Bloomberg

Delta Air Lines Inc will give most of its 75,000 employees a 4% pay increase as the carrier emerges from the coronavirus pandemic’s drubbing.
Flight attendants and ground employees — such as ticket and gate agents, baggage handlers and mechanics — are eligible for the raise, which takes effect from May 1. It applies to employees worldwide except those subject to a labour agreement. Pilots are the only major Delta work group represented by a union and won’t receive the raise.
US airlines recently delivered upbeat outlooks after two years of demand was crushed globally by the pandemic. Domestic bookings are close to or above 2019 levels, though international travel remains below par.
“We’re seeing healthy demand for spring and summer travel as customers continue to return to Delta, with corporate offices re-opening, business travellers rebuilding face-to-face relationships and international restrictions lifting,” Chief Executive Officer Ed Bastian said in the memo.
While the Atlanta-based carrier expects to report a first-quarter loss, the carrier continues “to be optimistic in our ability to generate a profit this year,” he said.