Comair, Pilots Extend Talks to Fend Off Strike

Delta Air Lines unit Comair and its pilots agreed to a deal that would give the two sides until February 2 to negotiate a new contract, the bankrupt carrier and its pilots’ union said on Friday.

The two sides had tentatively agreed on Thursday to a bigger extension, but Comair’s creditors balked at the length, said Paul Denke, spokesman for the Comair unit of the Air Line Pilots Association. The deal gives both sides time to reach a permanent solution and avoid a costly labor dispute.

Comair, the Cincinnati-based regional carrier, was planning to impose terms on its pilots on December 30, with the approval of the bankruptcy court. But fearing a strike, the company had asked the court to grant an injunction preventing union-backed work disruptions. Comair is seeking annual savings of $15.8 million from its pilots.