Southwest Airlines pilots have voted in favor of approving a new five-year contract, avoiding a potential strike that loomed for many months.
Members of the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association (SWAPA) voted 92.73% to 7.27% in favor of the tentative contract agreed upon in December between SWAPA and Southwest representatives under federal mediation.
The new contract, which will last through December 2028, includes an initial 29.15% pay rate increase for pilots with incremental raises over the next few years. It also includes improvements to pilot scheduling policies, maternity and paternity leave, company-provided disability coverage, retirement plans, and Scope protections.
The contract covers Southwest’s nearly 11,000 airline pilots. Southwest’s flight attendants are one of its final working groups still in contract negotiations.
