Delta Northwest talks highlight pilot seniority

By Charles Edwards

Atlanta, GA – Merger negotiations about seniority continue between pilots for Atlanta-based Delta Airlines and Northwest.

A pilot consultant says the pilots have a lot riding on the discussions.

Kit Darby says there are few things more important to a pilot than seniority. He should know. Darby is a retired United airlines pilot with more than 30 years in the industry. Now, he runs an Atlanta based pilot consulting firm.

Seniority can determine which planes pilots fly, which is why Darby says he's not surprised the issue has stalled negotiations.

KIRBY: "Between the smallest planes and the largest planes such as a DC 9 to a 747 at Northwest or a 737 to a 777 at Delta, the difference in pay is about 50 percent. Would that be important to you?

A pay comparison shows a Delta pilot with 1 year experience makes, on average, almost 44 thousand dollars a year. That's about 15 thousand dollars more than a Northwest pilot with the same experience. However, the salaries begin to even out over time.

Kirby expects both unions will eventually compromise even if it takes a while.