DALLAS — Delta Air Lines on Wednesday dropped a threat to furlough more than 1,700 pilots after they ratified a cost-cutting agreement that the airline said was needed to help it cope with a downturn caused by the pandemic.

The airline had planned to furlough about 13% of its 12,900 pilots on Saturday if an agreement to reduce costs wasn’t reached.

The deal doesn’t cut pilot pay rates, but it indirectly lowers their pay by reducing guaranteed monthly working hours by up to 5%. In exchange, Delta promised not to furlough pilots through Jan. 1, 2022.

The Air Line Pilots Association said about four-fifths of its Delta members voted and 74% of those ratified the deal.