United Airlines pilots ratified a new contract that their union says is worth more than $10 billion

CHICAGO (AP) — Pilots for United Airlines have ratified a new four-year contract that their union says is worth more than $10 billion.

The union previously said the deal would raise pay by up to 40% over four years.

The Air Line Pilots Association said Friday that 82% of pilots who took part in the voting favored the agreement.

Garth Thompson, leader of the union’s United group, called it an industry-leading contract that “brings substantial benefits to our pilots.”

United joins Delta Air Lines and American Airlines in nailing down new contract pilots that remove a source of friction with a key labor group but will add significantly to the carriers’ costs. Pilots at Southwest Airlines, who are represented by a separate union, are still in negotiations, as are flight attendants at several airlines.

The pilots’ union said the United contract includes industry-leading increases and improvements in work rules, sick leave, vacation time and retirement benefits. United has about 16,000 pilots.

The contract will run through Sept. 30, 2027.