'Excellent result' for Loganair cabin crew

Unite the Union and Loganair, the UK’s largest regional airline, have today (April 11) confirmed a new pay deal for the airline’s cabin crew across the UK, worth up to £3,000 over the next eighteen months.

The deal will take effect from this month following the successful outcome of a ballot of Unite members in Loganair.

Around 120 cabin crew are set to benefit from a £700 one-off payment in April along with a further minimum pay increase of £1,000 from September. A further £1,000 increase in September 2023 will ensure that over 18 months, the deal cumulatively secures an 11.2 per cent increase on basic pay.

Service-based pay increments will also resume after the pandemic, and earlier this month, Loganair also restored pension contributions for all employees to their pre-pandemic levels.

As part of the new pay agreement, and in a ground-breaking move for the airline industry, the majority of variable pay for Loganair cabin crew will be consolidated into their basic salaries for the first time. This will provide Loganair’s cabin crew members with greater certainty of income throughout the year, and support them in areas such as the ability to secure property mortgages or rentals based on demonstrable earnings.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said, “The pay agreement for Loganair cabin crew is an excellent result for our members, raising pay and bringing much-needed stability to their salaries. The Loganair deal is a brilliant example of Unite delivering for its members as we strive to improve the jobs, terms and conditions of our members based in airports across Scotland and the UK.”

For Loganair, Chief Operations Officer Maurice Boyle noted, “Throughout the pandemic, we’ve worked to safeguard employment and ensure that our cabin crew are fairly rewarded for the excellent work that they do. We’re pleased to have successfully completed this pay agreement with Unite, which will provide immediate help with the cost of living together with further pay increases over the next 18 months. The innovative arrangement to incorporate the majority of variable pay into basic salaries is a further boost for our team.”

Pat McIlvogue, Unite industrial officer, added, “The aviation industry is now slowly recovering after being hit very hard during the Covid pandemic. We are delighted therefore to get this pay deal with Loganair over the line for cabin crew. The pay award ensures a substantial uplift in our members’ pay going forward, and helps to set a benchmark for the aviation industry in Scotland.”

By Andrew Brady