Strike averted as Air Transat, union representing pilots reach tentative agreement

An Air Transat strike has been averted after the airline and the union representing pilots reached a tentative agreement Tuesday night.

Air Line Pilots Association, who represents more than 750 Air Transat pilots, said the agreement “delivers a modern contract that recognizes the professional contributions,” of their pilots.

Their members will vote on the agreement in the “coming days.”

“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,” said Capt. Bradley Small, chair of the Air Transat ALPA Master Executive Council.

The airline also confirmed the agreement, saying in a statement, it “marks an important milestone in the process, lifts the risk of a strike and now allows its customers to travel with peace of mind.”

Air Transat said their priority now is to quickly restore their operations. The airline had cancelled more flights Tuesday as the clock ticked down to Wednesday morning strike deadline from pilots near the peak of the holiday travel period.

“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.” Osaid Annick Guérard, President and CEO of Air Transat.

More to come