Delta Air LinesIt announced Thursday that most of its 75,000 employees would receive a 4% salary increase, which was their first since Fall 2019, prior to the pandemic.

Covid caused record losses to airlines as demand for travel declined, which led to the hard-hit airline sector. However, bookings for domestic leisure travel are on the rise again.

Carriers are now scrambling for staff to meet the surging travel demand. Airlines like Southwest AirlinesAnd United AirlinesIn order to attract workers, the government has raised minimum wage or provided bonuses in hiring. This was done amid high inflation and a tight labour market.

According to a Delta spokesperson, the raises are part of the regular base-pay increases that the company gave employees prior to Covid’s death.

Ed Bastian, Delta’s chief executive officer, stated that the airline expects a loss for the entire first quarter due to omicron’s effect on travel and staffing in early 2011. For March, the company anticipates making a profit.

Bastian stated in an employee memo that the company had made the announcement about the raises. “We have come a long distance since the darkest day of 2020.” He stated that the airline believes it will be able to make profits this year and that they are “optimistic”.

Last week, the Association of Flight Attendants – CWA wrote Delta cabin crew members to inform them that they hadn’t been paid a raise since 2019. Flight attendants are in the middle of an agreement. membership driveIt was launched at Delta in November 2019

Delta has approximately 20,000 flight attendants, making it the biggest non-union crew on any U.S. airline.

According to the union, “pretty much all other U.S. According to their contract, Flight Attendants know what they can count on. Instead we wait and wonder, wish and hope that management and only management will one day wake up and give raises.

CNBC reported that Delta stated in a statement that it was not connected to the strike by the flight attendant union.

A Delta spokesperson stated that the airline has a history of caring for its people. “This is a well-deserved increase in base pay for our employees who excel at safe taking care our customers and providing a unique travel experience that sets them apart.”

Delta pilots do not qualify for this pay rise.