Oct. 29 (Bloomberg) -- Mesaba Aviation Inc., a bankrupt commuter carrier, reached agreements with unions for its pilots and flight attendants that will reduce labor costs, days after a judge barred employees from striking.

The pilots' contract must be approved by the union's master executive council before union members vote on the plan, while the members of the flight attendants' union must vote on that accord, Mesaba said in statements distributed by Business Wire.

Details of the agreements weren't disclosed.

Mesaba, a unit of Mair Holdings Inc. in Minneapolis, had asked for a 17.5 percent reduction in pay and benefits while union members offered a 15 percent cut. A U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge said the airline was allowed to cancel labor contracts and enforce new agreements Oct. 26.

``All along we have believed that consensual agreements are in the best interest of all involved -- the company, its employees and our passengers,'' John Spanjers, Mesaba president and chief operating officer, said in a statement.

Mesaba, which operates as a Northwest Jet Airlink under an agreement with Northwest Airlines Corp., also has reached a tentative agreement on permanent wage and benefit reductions with the Transport Workers Union of America.

The company, which provides service for more than 5.7 million passengers annually to more than 100 cities in the U.S. and Canada, has yet to settle with the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association.

MAIR shares fell 9 cents to $4.46 on Oct. 27 in Nasdaq Stock Market composite trading. The shares have risen 16 percent this year compared with a 6.2 percent gain in the Nasdaq Transportation Index.

To contact the reporter on this story: Nancy Kercheval in Washington at nkercheval@bloomberg.net; Christine Richard in New York at Crichard5@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: October 29, 2006 16:22 EST