American has stated it will match Delta's new pay scale for its pilots, which would include a 40% pay bump over a 4-year deal per AAL's CEO. Delta recently became the first major U.S. airline to reach an agreement with its pilots, signing a 4-year, 34% pay increase contract in early March. American's CEO sent a message out to pilots saying, "American is prepared to match Delta’s pay rates and provide American’s pilots with the same profit-sharing formula as Delta’s pilots." If a contract agreement is reached, pilots could see a 21% pay bump in the first year, a 6% difference vs Delta's deal. If the contract were to go through, a captain flying narrow-body planes would make $475,000 at the top of the scale, up $135,000 from current pay, while the most senior captains of wide-body planes would make $590,000 per year, a $170,000 increase from today. American's pilot union didn't immediately comment on the CEO's statement.