Delta Offers 4% Raises
Delta Air Lines announced today it will issue 4% raises to most of its 75,000 worldwide employees, its first bump in pay since prior to the pandemic.
The carrier’s flight attendants are in the middle of a drive by the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA to consider unionizing, but Delta says the timing of the raise with the union drive is unrelated. Then again, it also said the delay of a flight today and the four mechanics looking at the plane with confused looks on their faces are unrelated as well.
The pay increase applies to frontline workers, flight attendants, mechanics, and many office staff. It does not apply to Delta’s pilots who are unionized What Delta did not share is that the raise is not coming as cash… but rather in the form of Biscoffs and SkyMiles, on a sliding scale based on years of tenure for the employee.
IAG Takes Another Crack at Air Europa
After having its purchase of Air Europa denied by EU regulators, IAG has potentially found a loophole to assume control of the carrier without as much government oversight. IAG will provide an unsecured €100 million loan to Air Europa’s corporate parent Globalia.
The loan, which has a term of seven years, can be converted into 20% equity into the carrier for IAG. It also permits IAG a one-year period of exclusivity in which it can negotiate potential options to work with Globalia long-term. IAG also will receive a right to match any offer from a third-party to buy the airline for the next three years, and the right to exit from its 20% stake and/or have its loan repaid immediately should Globalia sell Air Europa to a third party.
Comair Back in Business in South Africa
South Africa’s Civil Aviation Authority lifted its suspension of the AOC for Comair after it shut the carrier down last weekend over safety concerns.
The SACAA says it conducted an audit of both kulula.com and BA/Comair and confirmed compliance with the country’s safety regulations — which we are told do exist. BA and kulula.com both announced they would resume flights later today.
Comair operates BA-branded service on domestic flights within South Africa and also owns and operates the kulula.com brand. The stripping of its AOC came after the South African government found serious “Level 1” violations that caused an immediate grounding. The concerns focused on evidence-keeping and quality assurance but were never pointed towards flight ops or the maintenance of its aircraft.
- Air Asia X announced the final step in its debt restructuring.
- Air Canada is resuming service from Vancouver to Brisbane (July 1) and Auckland (November 10) while increasing Vancouver to Sydney to daily, effective May 1.
- Air Mauritius is expanding its relationship with Aeroplan.
- Emerald Airlines began new service between Dublin and Isle of Man (IOM) yesterday.
- Emirates will be opening a second cargo hub in Dubai at Dubai World Central Airport (DWC) on March 26.
- flybe is opening a new base at Belfast City (BHD).
- Icelandair took delivery of a new B737-8 MAX.
- Jet2 is suspending service to Krakow (KRK) its only destination in Poland through May 24.
- Qatar has new amenity kits.
- United is dropping service from three South Carolina cities (Charleston, Myrtle Beach, and Hilton Head) to seven midwestern cities: Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, and St. Louis
What sits at the bottom of the sea and twitches?
A nervous wreck.