American Airlines pilots, represented by the Allied Pilots Association (APA), ratified a new four-year agreement with the carrier. The new contract will deliver more than $9 billion of compensation and quality-of-life benefits to American’s 15,000 pilots.

The new contract will raise pilot pay by more than 40% over four years and increase company contributions to retirement plans, according to the APA.

Robert Isom, CEO, said the agreement will help American immediately expand its pilot training capacity to support underutilized aircraft and future flying and provide pilots with more opportunities to progress in their careers.
The APA said that 73% of pilots who took part voted in favor of the four-year contract.

Ed Sicher, the APA president, said the contract is “a big first step” toward restoring the wages, benefits and work rules that were lost during the past two decades “while the profession was under continuous assault.” He said pilots deserve to be compensated in line with the “tremendous amount of responsibility” they take with every flight.