Airline pilots picket ahead of July 4

About 1,200 Delta Air Lines pilots stood outside carrier hubs in airports across the country Thursday with signs reading, “Ready to strike,” among other things. They demanded higher pay and a better work-life balance and bemoaned insufficient progress in contract negotiations. Pilots have worked record amounts of overtime throughout the year — more than they did in 2018 and 2019 combined, according to one pilot.

How will this affect air travel? U.S. airports experienced crowd sizes surpassing pre-pandemic numbers Friday. The pilots protesting in airports aren’t technically on strike, and also aren’t scheduled to fly. A Delta Air Lines spokesman said the company is dedicated to working out a compromise that allows operations to run smoothly while providing sufficient employee compensation. Meanwhile, airlines in Europe are canceling flights due to not having enough passengers.

Dig deeper: Read my report in The Sift about the transportation workers’ recent strike in the United Kingdom.