Atlanta -- A strike at Delta Air Lines was apparently averted today when the airline and the union representing its pilots tentatively agreed to a new pilot wage and benefit package.
"Delta passengers can continue to book on Delta with confidence," said Edward Bastian, Delta's chief financial officer. "There has been no disruption to our service."
Delta's pilots must vote to approve or reject the agreement, details of which were not released. The union, the Air Line Pilots Association, has not yet announced a vote date.
Delta pilots last week voted to authorize their union to call a strike if an arbitration panel approved Delta's request to void the current contract so that Delta can negotiate further compensation concessions. The panel was scheduled to meet tomorrow, but the meeting is now on hold pending the pilots' vote on the agreement.
Delta, which declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy in September, has proposed compensation reductions of up to $325 million, including an 18-percent pay cut. In 2004, the pilots agreed to a five-year contract, in which they gave wage and benefit concessions totaling $1 billion, including a 32-percent wage cut.
The nation's third largest airline, Delta operates 1,722 daily flights.