By James Pilcher
Enquirer staff writer

Delta Air Lines' pilot union late Tuesday said it would be willing to take a 23 percent pay cut to help the company survive, an offer that was more than double what the pilots previously had offered.

But the offer, which comes as the union prepares to sit down with management later this month to discuss possible concessions, does not meet the $1 billion in annual pilot cuts the company is reportedly seeking.

In a release obtained by the Enquirer, the pilots say they would be willing to give up concessions worth $655 million to $705 million annually. Last year, the pilots had said they would offer a 9 percent cut plus freezes on future scheduled pay increases.

"Delta's financial problems cannot be cured by pilot concessions alone," said John Malone, chairman of Delta's branch of the Air Line Pilots Association, in the release. "However, we are once again taking a leadership role in attempting to restart the talks. It is my sincere hope that given the magnitude and scope of our proposal, management will seriously engage in meaningful negotiations."

The Atlanta-based airline, which operates its second-largest hub at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, has been pressuring its 8,000-member pilot union for major cuts for more than a year as a way to return to profitability. Nearly 900 of those pilots are based locally.

Delta spokeswoman Meghan Glynn acknowledged that the airline had received the offer, but would not comment, saying management needed to review it.

"We certainly would appreciate any movement in the right direction," she said. "As our CEO Jerry Grinstein has said, the hole has gotten deeper, so we want to do this once and we want to get it right."

Officials with Delta's branch of the Air Line Pilots Association did not return calls late Tuesday. The release said that the union was seeking "financial returns and corporate governance" but did not elaborate.

The airline has lost $5 billion since the Sept. 11 terror attacks, a figure that includes a $1.96 billion loss in the second quarter of this year. Delta, the nation's third-largest carrier, has previously sought a 30 percent cut, and recent reports have said that the company was asking for more - concessions worth $1 billion annually.

In a report issued Tuesday after Monday's record-setting quarterly loss report, Blaylock & Partners airline analyst Ray Neidl said that Delta needed to cut $2.1 billion in annual costs to return to profitability, and that half those cuts needed to come from the pilots.

The pilots remain the highest paid in the industry after approving their current four-year deal in June 2001.

E-mail jpilcher@enquirer.com