Air Transat Says Tentative Deal Reached With Pilots, Averting Strike

Transat A.T. Inc. says a tentative deal has been reached with pilots, averting a strike.

Leisure airline Air Transat, owned by the travel company, had been cancelling flights ahead of an expected work stoppage, impacting thousands of travellers.

The company announced the cancellation of six flights on its website on the morning of Dec. 9 and added an additional wave of cancelled flights in the afternoon. A total of 12 flights were cancelled for Dec. 9, and six Dec. 10 flights were also cancelled.

Negotiators in Montreal held ongoing discussions over the past several days continuing into the early hours of Dec. 9 regarding a new contract for the carrier’s 750 pilots, who are seeking an agreement that increases wages and job security. Talks continued through the day on Dec. 9, with the airline announcing a tentative deal had been reached just before 8 p.m. EST.

“Improved offers have been submitted in the past few hours, along with significant concessions, reflecting our determination to find common ground,” a spokesperson said in an email to The Epoch Times on Dec. 9 before the tentative deal was reached.

The spokesperson said negotiations with the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) were “continuing intensively,” noting that the company increased its offer to the union.

“We are working tirelessly and still hope to reach an agreement today in order to minimize disruptions to operations and our passengers,” the spokesperson said in a Dec. 9 email.

The day before, ALPA said in an emailed statement it remained committed to finding a deal that benefits the pilots while also avoiding a strike.

“While some progress has been made, there is still work to do,” the union said in a Dec. 8 email. “We are working tirelessly to reach an agreement that achieves the collective priorities of our group.”

The Epoch Times contacted the union for comments on Dec. 9. A spokesperson said ALPA would have more to say about the negotiations later in the day.

ALPA issued a 72-hour strike notice on Dec. 7 after the pilots it represents voted 99 percent in favour of a strike last week if a deal can’t be reached.

Nearly all eligible pilots—98 percent—cast a ballot, the union said.

ALPA previously said it was unable to find common ground with the airline after beginning negotiations in January. The parties entered a 21-day cooling-off period on Nov. 18 after leaving conciliation. As of Dec. 7, the union had the option of filing a 72-hour strike notice, or management could implement a lockout.

A strike could hinder the travel plans of the thousands of Canadians who fly Air Transat each day, primarily to vacation spots in the Caribbean, Mexico, and Europe.

Air Transat said it has already had to arrange extra flights to ferry some passengers back early from their vacations in Cancun, Punta Cana, and Cuba.

The Canadian Press contributed to this report.