Thousands of Delta employees got the equivalent of a month’s pay Wednesday as the airline sent out its profit-sharing payments.
The payments came out to $1.4 billion, the company announced, a total that will be shared among more than 100,000 employees. The money constitutes 10% of an average Delta worker’s annual salary.
The $1.4 billion payout is the second largest profit-sharing amount in Delta’s history, with 2019’s $1.6 billion taking the top spot. It comes after two years of relatively low payouts, with this year’s cash up 150% from 2023.
The payouts will be delivered to all Delta employees below midlevel management, including nonunion workers.
The payouts come after a massive year of travel. While many airlines struggled to keep up with labor strife, staffing issues and general organization, millions of customers still needed to fly, resulting in huge profits for airlines.
Delta delivered big pay and benefit raises for their unionized pilots in 2023, setting a high industry standard that was followed by other popular airlines months later.