Air Transat will begin cancelling flights starting Monday as it prepares for a possible pilot strike on Wednesday, after the union representing its pilots issued a 72-hour strike notice while contract negotiations remain unresolved.
Strike Notice and Operational Wind-Down
The Air Line Pilots Association, which represents Air Transat’s pilots, issued the strike notice on Sunday. The notice states that pilots will stop reporting to work on Wednesday if the airline and the union fail to reach a new contract agreement.
Following the notice, Air Transat said it would gradually suspend its operations to avoid the impact of a sudden and unplanned shutdown. The airline said it plans to begin cancelling flights on Monday and will suspend all flights on Tuesday in preparation for a potential strike.
Air Transat said the cancellations are necessary to prevent passengers, flight crews, and aircraft from being stranded outside the country if work stoppages begin.
Union Position and Contract Dispute
Contract negotiations have been ongoing for nearly a year as pilots seek to replace their current agreement, which dates back to 2015. The union said the new contract aims to secure what it described as industry-standard pay, benefits, work rules, and job security.
The union said 99% of its roughly 750 Air Transat pilots voted in favour of authorising their leadership to call a strike.
“No pilot wants to strike, but Air Transat management has left us no choice,” said Capt Bradley Small, who leads a group of pilots within the union. “Months of unproductive bargaining ends now. If we cannot reach an agreement, management will be responsible for every cancelled flight and stranded passenger.”
Airline Response to the Strike Threat
Air Transat described the strike notice as premature. Julie Lamontagne, a human resources officer at the airline, said the company had made what it called generous offers at the bargaining table and had negotiated in good faith.
“This strike notice is premature given the progress made at the bargaining table and the generous offers made by Air Transat,” Lamontagne said in a statement. She accused the pilots’ union of showing indifference toward the company in what she described as a reckless decision to authorise a strike that does not reflect the current state of negotiations.
Air Transat is one of Canada’s three largest airlines.
Previous Labour Disruption at the Airline
In 2024, Air Transat’s flight dispatchers voted overwhelmingly in favour of a strike after contract talks stalled, though that labour dispute was resolved before work stoppages began.
Featured image credits: Wikimedia Commons
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