Here’s what you need to know about a potential Air Transat pilots strike

As peak holiday travel season approaches, flyers with Air Transat have been dealt an unexpected curveball. The airline’s pilots issued a 72-hour strike notice Sunday, raising the risk of a walkout later this week.

Some flights have already been cancelled and more disruption is expected in the days ahead.

Here’s what you need to know.

How did we get here?

On Sunday, the Air Line Pilots Association, which represents about 750 Air Transat pilots, issued a 72-hour strike notice. That means a walkout could start as early as 3 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 10.

Negotiations over a new collective agreement began in January 2025.

But after months of bargaining, talks broke down Nov. 18, triggering a 21-day cooling-off period that ended Sunday.

On Dec. 3, pilots voted 99 per cent in favour of strike action, culminating in the 72-hour notice and escalating tensions with the airline.

How long could a strike last?

The strike could end immediately if the two sides reach a deal, but it could stretch longer if talks collapse.

Flight disruptions could last “until an agreement is reached,” according to Air Transat.

Will my flight be cancelled?

Right now, Air Transat says all flights scheduled on or before Dec. 12 may be affected by the potential strike.

The airline says it has already begun “progressively” cancelling flights and says a “complete suspension” of operations could occur by Tuesday if no deal is reached.

Flights on or after Dec. 13 are currently expected to operate normally, with the airline saying bookings remain “subject to our usual terms and conditions.” This may change as the week unfolds.

Am I entitled to compensation?

Potentially.

If your flight is cancelled, the airline says your next steps depend on how you booked. This includes, for example, whether you purchased a flight-only ticket or a package, and whether it was booked directly with the airline or through a travel agency.

In most cases, travellers will either be rebooked on the next available flight within 48 hours or offered a refund for the unused portions of their trip.

Air Transat is directing passengers to its full guidance page: airtransat.com/en-CA/strike

Advocacy group Air Passenger Rights says, however, travellers may be entitled to up to $1,000 in compensation if their flight is cancelled before the strike officially begins and within 14 days of departure.

The group argues that Air Transat’s early cancellations are a business decision, not a direct result of the strike.

The organization has published a detailed list of rights for passengers here.

Why are the pilots striking?

The pilots have been seeking a new collective agreement to replace their 2015 contract. They say their contract no longer reflects industry standards for pay, scheduling, pensions or quality of life.

“Let us be clear, we do not want to strike. Our goal remains to reach an equitable agreement at the negotiating table,” said Capt. Bradley Small, chair of the Air Transat Master Executive Council.

Air Transat says it has put forward a positive offer, saying that includes a 59-per-cent wage increase over five years and “major improvements to pilots’ working conditions.”

Small called that figure “very inaccurate” and a product of “creative accounting.”

The airline has been under financial strain recently, carrying significant debt and facing rising competition in the leisure travel market.

How do other airline pilots’ agreements compare?

In 2024, the 5,400 Air Canada pilots secured a cumulative wage increase of nearly 42 per cent over four years.

That followed major gains at the three largest U.S. airlines, where pilots negotiated increases of 34 to 40 per cent. Those pilots, however, started from higher salary baselines.

In 2023, WestJet pilots won a 24-per-cent raise over four years in an agreement reached just hours before a strike deadline.

How does this compare with the recent Air Canada walkout?

In August, a labour dispute also hit Air Canada. In that case, about 10,000 flight attendants walked off the job, leading to the shutdown of the airline’s flight operations nationwide.

Ottawa intervened, with the Canada Industrial Relations Board ordering flight attendants back to work.

Air Canada warned it would take seven to 10 days for its network to reset and schedules to return to normal when the strike ended.

By contrast, in the Air Transat case, the federal government has not indicated yet whether it will step in.

Canadian Labour Minister Patty Hajdu has urged both sides to reach an agreement, but no back-to-work measures have been signalled.

What’s happening behind the scenes?

The strike notice lands amid a power struggle at Air Transat.

Pierre Karl Péladeau, the billionaire head of Québecor, whose company owns 9.5 per cent of the airline, is calling for a shakeup of the board and a strategic overhaul. His proposal presented last week would see a Québecor executive as board chair in place of Susan Kudzman, with Péladeau also taking a seat.

On Sunday, Péladeau seized on the strike notice to press his case, criticizing the board for a “deplorable situation” and offering to mediate between workers and management.

“The board of directors is once again demonstrating its inability to manage fragile financial resources, while extraordinary sums are being paid out on professional and consulting fees of all kinds,” he said in a statement from his investment firm, Financière Outremont Inc.

The board, though, so far opposes the proposed changes.

hnorth@postmedia.com

The Canadian Press contributed to this report.