Pilots at Delta Air Lines have approved a new contract that will allow Delta abandon 50-seat regional jets and fly more 76-seat aircraft.
The new deal caps the number of 50-seat jets at 125, down from 343 now. Delta predicts abandoning the smaller aircraft more quickly would save it $473 million in maintenance and ownership costs. The new contract also allows for 70 more jets with 70 or 76 seats and for Delta to lease 88 former AirTran Boeing 717s from Southwest Airlines.
The airline issued a statement saying it was pleased that pilots approved the new contract. It “provides career growth opportunities and pay, scheduling and benefits improvements to pilots, while providing Delta with the ability to accelerate fleet enhancements which will be better for Delta customers and Delta people,’’ the company said.
Delta pilots approve new contract
