Air Canada CEO apologizes for uncertainty caused by labour negotiations

Air Canada’s CEO Michael Rousseau apologized to customers on Monday (Sept. 16) for the anxiety the airline may have caused as it negotiated a new labour deal with the union representing is more than 5,200 pilots.

Travellers (and travel advisors) breathed a collective sigh of relief over the weekend as Canada's largest air carrier, shortly after midnight Sunday (Sept. 15), reached a tentative, four-year collective agreement with the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), averting a work stoppage that would have disrupted travel for hundreds of thousands of passengers.

In a video statement posted to LinkedIn yesterday, Rousseau acknowledge the “uncertainty” customers faced in the weeks and days leading up to Sunday’s strike deadline.

“Negotiating major union contracts at a big company can often get noisy,” the CEO said. “It can create uncertainty for customers we understand and apologize if that happened to you.”

Air Canada, which offered a goodwill policy to its customers during the negotiations, says its flights will continue as normal while union members vote on the tentative four-year deal, which will reportedly offer Air Canada pilots cumulative raises of almost 42 per cent over four years.

“We believe the deal to be mutually beneficial"

The ALPA had been pushing to narrow the pay gap with pilots at other Canadian and U.S. airlines, as well as scheduling changes that would allow pilots to make more and spend more time at home.

READ MORE: Air Canada & union reach tentative agreement on new four-year contract

Air Canada previously offered a contract with raises of 30 per cent and improved work-life balances, and called the union’s pay demands “unrealistic.”

The new tentative agreement replaces one reached 10 years ago that provided raises of two per cent annually.

Ratification requires approval by a majority of the voting membership, who will soon receive the agreement for review. This being said, it's still possible that the pilots could reject the agreement, which would restart the negotiating process.

Air Canada’s CEO, however, is confident that the contract will be approved.

READ MORE: Air Canada offering 25% off, bonus points, lounge vouchers

“We believe the deal to be mutually beneficial, and the MEC [Master Executive Council] of ALPA have publicly confirmed their support,” Rousseau said in his video statement. “It recognizes the contributions of our pilots, and this is very important, as they are skilled professionals whose top priority is to always keep you safe when you are travelling with us.”

Rousseau noted that the airline’s goal, throughout the labour talks, was to avoid flight disruptions.

“We were pleased we were able to conclude these negotiations without disrupting any flights for our customers, and we will continue to operate normally,” he said.

Worldwide seat sale

To make it up to customers, Air Canada announced a worldwide seat sale yesterday to inspire future bookings.

The carrier is offering 25 per cent off on new bookings with a bonus of 2,500 extra Aeroplan points from now until 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday (Sept. 18) for eligible trips booked up to May 31, 2025. (Terms and conditions apply).

Air Canada says it will also be surprising customers at select airports in Canada with “tokens of appreciation,” including Aeroplan points, lounge vouchers, snacks, swag and more.

For more info, click here.

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