Delta Air Lines issues the
following statement on the pilot early retirement agreement announced by
the Delta unit of the Airline Pilots Association (ALPA) today:
“Today’s ratification of the pilot early retirement agreement is a
positive example of what we can do when we work together to find mutually
acceptable solutions to our problems. But it is also a stark reminder of
the severity of our financial situation.

“The same sense of urgency and spirit of cooperation needs to be applied
now to reach agreement on the $1 billion in permanent, annual cost-savings
Delta needs from its pilot group. These pilot savings are part of a
comprehensive cost reduction program, which includes contributions from
all of our employees, key stakeholders and anticipated benefits from our
Transformation Plan and Profit Improvement Initiatives.

“We still have the opportunity to transform ourselves together, on our own
and in our own way, but time is running out. If all of these elements are
not in place in a matter of weeks, we will have to restructure through the
courts, which we continue to believe is in no-one’s best interest.”
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