Pay to Rise as Much as 40% in Deal Reached by United and Pilots
In a statement, United, which is based in Chicago, said the deal would help its “United Next” strategy, an expansion plan that includes the purchase of larger planes to increase in the number of seats per flight in North America by almost 30 percent and the number of premium seats per flight by 75 percent by 2026.
“We promised our world-class pilots the industry-leading contract they deserve, and we’re pleased to have reached an agreement,” Scott Kirby, chief executive at United Airlines, wrote on the social media network LinkedIn.
Union officials said the agreement was the result of four years of negotiations and represented a “landmark” deal in the airline industry as travel demand rises after the steep drop during the height of the pandemic.
“The tireless dedication demonstrated by United pilots over the past several years ensured our solidarity, which was instrumental in achieving this historic agreement,” Capt. Garth Thompson, chairman of the Master Executive Council of the United Air Line Pilots Association International, said in a statement.
The Air Line Pilots Association, the largest airline pilot union in the world, represents 74,000 pilots at 42 airlines in the United States and Canada, including 16,000 pilots at United Airlines.
Source: The New York Times
