Air Transat pilots have approved a Tentative Agreement, now headed for ratification by more than 750 pilots over the coming days. The deal comes less than eight hours before a potential strike could have disrupted holiday flights and vacation packages, surely leaving advisors—who had been preparing to “brace for impact,” as one told Open Jaw this afternoon—breathing a sigh of relief.
"We are pleased to have finally reached a tentative agreement with the union representing our pilots, marking a complete overhaul of their collective agreement," Annick Guérard, Transat President and CEO, said 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," she added. "Our priority now is to quickly restore our operations and deliver on our commitment to provide service that meets our standards."
Earlier today, Transat cancelled 18 flights, six of them that were to depart tomorrow (10DEC), as reported by Open Jaw.
The Tenative Agreement follows 11 months of intense negotiations.
According to the Air Line Pilots Association, it addresses key concerns—including higher pay, stronger job security, and more flexible schedules—bringing the contract in line with current North American aviation industry standards.
“Our pilots have been frustrated flying under a decade-old, outdated collective agreement.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 Master Executive Council (MEC). “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.”
Pilot leaders said they believe the new agreement goes a long way toward recognizing today’s aviation standards and supporting pilots in achieving a better work-life balance.
“Our current pilot contract lags significantly behind industry standards in Canada and North America,” Capt. Small added. “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.”
Transat has published a FAQ section for customers, covering everything from using credits from previously cancelled reservations to refunds for unused days when return flights are rescheduled.
Bookings for which a cancellation form requesting a credit has been submitted cannot be reinstated, it also confirmed. Travellers will need to make a new reservation, as the cancellation and credit issuance process begins immediately and cannot be reversed.
