ATLANTA — Following a challenging end to 2021, employees at Delta Air Lines have something new to be thankful for, as the company announced bonuses.
News was announced Thursday as part of Delta's end of year financial report.
“2021 was a year like no other for Delta, with significant progress in our recovery supported by growing brand preference, enabling us to be the only major U.S. airline to deliver profitability across the second half of the year,” Delta’s Chief Executive Officer Ed Bastian said in a statement. “As always, our people drove this success, which is why we were happy to announce this morning a special profit-sharing payment for all eligible employees."
According to Bastian, this "profit sharing payout" will occur on Feb. 14 with each eligible employee receiving $1,250.
"You never falter in taking care of one another, our customers, and the communities we serve," Bastian said in a memo to employees. "You do it with the excellence, care and compassion that always sets Delta people apart."
His statement added, "It's an important part of our culture to shoulder hardships when times are tough, and we've had more than our fair share of tough times lately. But, just as important is our commitment to sharing in the success we make possible by working together."
In the company's financial report Bastian also addressed concern over the omicron variant's spread across the county, notably impacting staffing, which has resulted in hundreds of canceled flights from multiple airlines at the start of the year.
He added that despite those challenges, the company's operation is now stable and has returned to "pre-holiday performance."
“Omicron is expected to temporarily delay the demand recovery 60 days, but as we look past the peak, we are confident in a strong spring and summer travel season with significant pent-up demand for consumer and business travel,” Bastian concluded.