Just like that. August appears and flight cancellations at Northwest go away.  Well, not totally. But 20 cancellations, which the airline posted Wednesday, is a far cry from hundreds a day.

Amazing how that works.

But the biggest news Wednesday was not that it was a new month with a whole new set of flying hours to work with — it was the news that the airline and its pilots had come to terms on what was described as an agreement that will help end the problems that are at the root of the airline’s cancellation nightmare.

The Air Line Pilots Association said its members would be paid overtime for flying more than 80 hours a month, and flight instructors would receive incentives to train new and returning laid-off pilots. Additionally, pilots on international flights will receive better rest accommodations, under the new agreement.

The latest cancellation total for June and July from the airline now stands at more than 4000 flights.

Doug Steenland, CEO of Northwest acknowledged this week that work rules in the pilots contract led the airline to “stub its toe” during the busy summer travel season.

Nice “warm and fuzzy” way to put it there Doug.

I think it would be a little more accurate to say that management at the airline screwed up. Big time. And whoever it was who actually thought they would get Northwest pilots — who have seen their pay and benefits slashed as part of the airline’s bankruptcy — to “go above and beyond” for the company needs to be strapped to a chair and made to repeat over and over, “I was delusional.”

Ticker: (NYSE:NWA)

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