By Blessing Nweke
Canadian airline Air Transat and the union representing its more than 750 pilots have reached a tentative agreement, averting a strike that threatened to suspend flights and disrupt thousands of travel plans. The agreement, announced Tuesday, comes after months of tense negotiations and a near-unanimous strike vote that had pushed the carrier to scale back operations.
Air Transat said the proposal will be submitted to union members “for ratification in the coming days,” adding that “our operations are returning to normal.” The airline apologized to passengers affected by recent flight disruptions, acknowledging that the uncertainty had caused significant frustration. “Our priority now is to rapidly restore our operations and provide you with the best possible service,” the company said.
The breakthrough followed an 11-month stalemate between Air Transat management and the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA). Negotiations accelerated only after 99% of pilots voted Sunday to authorize a strike beginning Wednesday. In response, the airline had begun reducing flights in anticipation of a shutdown.
Captain Bradley Small, chair of the Air Transat ALPA Master Executive Council, credited the deal to the resolve of union members. He said the pilots’ solidarity “finally brought Air Transat management to the bargaining table to negotiate in a meaningful way.” The union has argued that its existing contract “lags significantly behind industry standards,” and says the new agreement would strengthen job security, improve compensation, and increase scheduling flexibility.
If ratified, the deal would head off what would have been the second major airline strike to hit Canada this year. In August, Air Canada flight attendants walked off the job, forcing hundreds of cancellations and prompting swift government intervention. That dispute ended only after a mediator was appointed and both sides reached a tentative settlement.
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