Singapore Airlines strikes a deal over pay cuts

SINGAPORE AIRLINES and its pilots have reached agreement over wage cuts, averting a court battle, according to airwise.com Cockpit crews will accept pay reductions of between 11 and 16.5%, depending on their rank. The biggest reductions will be shouldered by SIA captains. The airline, which has financial problems caused by the impact of the SARS outbreak, had asked captains to take a 22.5% cut and first officers 15%, but they refused. In return for agreeing to the pay cuts, the pilots have been promised lump sum payments linked to the company’s financial performance in the current fiscal year.