Delta distributed US$1.6b in profit-sharing to its 90,000 employees Friday, a record for any US company. The distribution has become a Valentine’s Day ritual for Delta in recent years, representing an income boost that, except in the finance industry, is rare to most workers in America. It has also become a moment when unions draw attention to the inequalities in the airline industry, which relies, for some services, heavily on subcontractors that don’t pay their workers nearly as well. This year’s payout at Delta works out to nearly $17,800 per employee and represented a 16% bonus to average worker pay, the airline said. The pay averages are skewed by the high pay pilots receive, reaching well above $200,000 for the most senior pilots. As a result, most Delta workers receive bonuses that are smaller than the average. <br/>
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Delta Monday said that they are aware of 2 recent passengers being treated for novel coronavirus. They said the passengers travelled together between Honolulu and Nagoya, Japan on flight 611 Feb 6. An airline spokesperson said they are "communicating with the appropriate public health officials," which include the CDC and local Japanese authorities. "We are proactively reaching out to customers who were onboard that flight as well as taking the necessary steps to ensure the safety of our customers and crew," the airline said. Last month, Delta announced that they temporarily suspended all US-to-China flying through April 30 due to ongoing concerns related to COVID-19. They also said that prior to any departure, the planes are "thoroughly cleaned for the safety of our customers and crew.” <br/>
Lebanon’s Middle East Airlines scrapped a decision to reject payments in the local currency, hours after the nation’s president warned against the move and questioned its legality. As backlash mounted Sunday, the airline 99% owned by the central bank reversed the announcement to accept payments only in foreign currency, according to its spokeswoman. The company will hold meetings to discuss solutions and mechanisms that would take into consideration the interests of the Lebanese people and the state of the firm, Al Jadeed TV reported. Lebanon is grappling with its worst economic and political crisis in decades, following months of protests that forced the previous govt to resign. The pound, pegged to the dollar since 1997, is losing value on the black market . <br/>