Strike averted: Air Transat reaches tentative agreement with pilots’ union

This story was updated on Tuesday, December 9 at 7:33 p.m. EST

Air Transat has reached a tentative agreement with the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), the union representing its pilots, for the renewal of their collective agreement, the airline announced in a press release late Tuesday (Dec. 9)

The agreement lifts the risk of a strike and now allows customers to "travel with peace of mind," the airline said. It will be submitted for ratification by the union members in the coming days.

“We are pleased to have finally reached a tentative agreement with the union representing our pilots, marking a complete overhaul of their collective agreement," said Annick Guérard, president and CEO of Transat, in a statement. "We would have greatly preferred to avoid the threat of a strike, which forced us to modify our operations. We are aware that this period has created significant uncertainty, and we extend our sincerest apologies to our customers whose flights were disrupted in recent days. Our priority now is to quickly restore our operations and deliver on our commitment to provide service that meets our standards." 

Operations return to normal

The news follows more than 11 months of intensive negotiations and last-minute flight disruptions.

A 72-hour strike notice was issued on December 7, triggering a countdown to a potential strike that could have formally begun in the early hours of December 10 (Wednesday morning).

Air Transat began scaling back operations on Tuesday, initially cancelling select flights to Cancun and Punta Cana before expanding the cancellations to South American and European destinations into Wednesday (Dec. 10)

“Our operations are returning to normal,” the airline wrote in a message posted to its website Tuesday night. “We recognize that this period caused significant uncertainty, and we offer our sincerest apologies to customers whose travel plans were disrupted in recent days. Our priority now is to rapidly restore our operations and provide you with the best possible service.”

In a Q&A that was also published, Air Transat notes that any flight that has already been cancelled, or bookings that were cancelled by customers, will not be reinstated. Affected travellers are being advised to make a new reservation.

The Q&A also outlines Air Transat’s policies for upcoming travel dates, credits, and rebooking procedures.

“A modern contract”

From the ALPA’s perspective, the tentative agreement delivers “a modern contract that recognizes the professional contributions of Air Transat pilots,” according to a press release issued by the union.

The more than 750 Air Transat pilots will vote on the deal in the coming days.

“Our pilots have been frustrated flying under a decade-old, outdated collective agreement. This was compounded by months of stall tactics by Air Transat management during our nearly year-long negotiation,” said Capt. Bradley Small, chair of the Air Transat ALPA Master Executive Council (MEC), in a statement. “That is why we are pleased to announce that our unity and resolve finally brought Air Transat management to the bargaining table to negotiate in a meaningful way, resulting in a Tentative Agreement.”

Air Transat’s pilot leaders believe the contract “goes a long way toward recognizing today’s aviation industry standards and delivers on the goals of better job security, enhanced compensation, and more flexible schedules to allow for a better work-life balance.”

“Our current pilot contract lags significantly behind industry standards in Canada and North America,” continued Capt. Small. “We believe this new agreement meets the needs of today’s profession, consistent with collective agreements other ALPA-represented pilot groups are signing with their employers.”

Full details of the tentative deal have yet to be released.

If ratified, however, Air Transat’s pilots “will send a strong message that they continue to remain committed to being a major contributor to Air Transat’s success and will play a vital role in helping the company recognize its growth strategy,” the union said.

This is a developing story. 

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