Delta Air Lines gives staff another 5% raise, hikes starting wages to $19 an hour

Delta Air Lines said it is raising staff pay by another 5% this year as the country's most profitable airline prepares for the busy summer travel season.

The pay increase, which starts June 1, applies to workers including flight attendants, ground handlers, mechanics and some office workers, among others. It does not apply to pilots, who are unionized and ratified a contract last year for big pay increases after stagnant wages during the Covid-19 pandemic. The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA launched a unionization campaign of Delta's cabin crew in late 2019.

Delta raised staff pay by 5% last year and the pay hike unveiled Monday is the third the Atlanta-based carrier has announced since 2022. With the new raises, starting pay at Delta's mainline operation in the U.S. will rise to $19 an hour from $16.55.

"With this increase in base pay and starting rates, we continue our commitment to provide Delta people with industry-leading total compensation for industry-leading performance," CEO Ed Bastian said in a memo to staff on Monday.