Delta Air Lines has reached a cost-cutting agreement with the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), the union representing its pilots, to avoid furloughs until 1 January 2022, a statement on Thursday said.
According to CNBC News, the deal would cut monthly minimum guaranteed hours by 5 percent. It still needs to be approved by Delta's early 13,000 pilots.
Delta earlier said it would have to lay off more than 1,900 pilots if federal aid of $25 billion approved in March to protect aviation jobs from the COVID-19 pandemic isn't renewed. So far, Democrats and Republicans have been locked in a stalemate on the next COVID-19 stimulus, with the dispute concentrating mostly on the size of the relief package.
According to travel data company Cirium, 43 commercial airlines have failed since January this year, compared to 46 in the whole of 2019 and 56 in all of 2018. A failed airline is one that has completely ceased or suspended operations, according to Cirium.
Congress required that airlines continue servicing existing routes as a condition to receive $25 billion in grants under the CARES Act.