Pilots talk after exiting a Delta Airlines flight at the Ronald Reagan National Airport on July 22, 2020 in Arlington, Virginia.
Michael A. McCoy | Getty Images
Delta Air Lines will furlough 1,941 of its pilots in October unless it can reach a cost-cutting agreement with the employees’ labor union, the airline said Monday.
U.S. airlines that accepted $25 billion in federal aid are prohibited from cutting jobs through Sept. 30.
“We are six months into this pandemic and only 25% of our revenues have been recovered,” said John Laughter, Delta’s senior vice president of flight operations in a memo to pilots, which was seen by CNBC. Laughter said the airline doesn’t expect a quick turnaround in demand.
This summer, Delta warned 2,558 of its pilots about potential furloughs. The number was lowered by more than 1,800 pilots who took early retirement packages, but Laughter warned it is not enough to offset the furloughs.
“With approximately 11,200 active pilots still on the roster following the September 1 [voluntary early retirement] departures, we are simply overstaffed, and we are faced with an incredibly difficult decision,” he wrote.
Delta last month said remaining pilots could avoid furloughs altogether with a 15% cut to minimum pay.
The Air Line Pilots Association, Delta’s pilots’ labor union didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Laughter said the company will need about 9,450 pilots for summer 2021, “which we expect will be the peak flying for the next 12-18 months.”