Issues surrounding pilot seniority are what’s holding up the Delta/Northwest Airlines merger.
Pilots with more seniority bid first for desirable planes and routes. Lower ranked pilots are the first to be laid off.
Leaders of Northwest Airlines pilots said yesterday—without naming Delta—the largest difference between Northwest’s pilots and other pilot groups is that a quarter of Northwest’s pilots will retire in 5 years.
Without a merger, younger pilots could move up quickly. With a merger they will be folded into a younger workforce of a consolidated airline.
