Southwest Airlines Pilots Agree To $12-B Contract

Negotiators for pilots at Southwest Airlines have reached an agreement in principle with the company for a new five-year contract worth $12 billion, the union said, adding that its board still needs to decide whether to send the deal to members for a ratification vote or not, Reuters reported.

Southwest and its pilots have been in negotiations for a new contract for more than three years and in federal mediation since September 2022. I Photo: Southwest Airlines

The Southwest Airlines Pilots Association (SWAPA), which represents more than 10,000 pilots at the Dallas-based carrier, did not provide details of the deal. The union later said it was worth $12 billion over five years.

Casey Murray, SWAPA's president, said the union's board will meet on Wednesday to evaluate the deal and decide whether to send it to the pilots for a ratification vote.

Southwest and its pilots have been in negotiations for a new contract for more than three years and in federal mediation since September 2022.

The last contract ended in 2020. The pilots have been demanding higher pay and better work rules. Union officials said the delay in getting a new contract has driven up attrition rates at the carrier, with hundreds of pilots leaving for rival airlines.

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