Canadian leisure airline Air Transat has started to suspend some flights after the union representing its pilots notified airline management of possible/planned industrial action.
On December 7, 2025, the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) issued a 72-hour strike notice, required under the Canada Labour Code, to airline management. This means that the strike could start as early as 03:00 local time on December 10, 2025.
“There is still time to avoid a strike but unless significant progress is made at the bargaining table, we will strike if that’s what it takes to achieve a modern contract,” said Captain Bradley Small, Chair of the Air Transat Master Executive Council (MEC).
Air Transat pilots said that they have been negotiating for nearly a year to secure a “modern contract with industry-standard pay, benefits, work rules, and job security” to replace their existing 2015 agreement.
On December 2, 2025, 99% of the airline’s 750 pilots voted in favor of authorizing their leadership to declare industrial action if necessary.
“No pilot wants to strike, but Air Transat management has left us no choice,” Small added. “Months of unproductive bargaining ends now. If we cannot reach an agreement, management will be responsible for every canceled flight and stranded passenger.”
After receiving the notice, Air Transat issued a statement warning that its operations might be disrupted over the next few days between December 8 and 9, 2025, “until an agreement is reached”.
Julie Lamontagne, Chief Human Resources, Corporate Responsibility and Communications Officer at Air Transat, described the pilots’ strike notice as “premature”.
“We have demonstrated a serious commitment throughout the process and a sincere willingness to reach an agreement by proposing several compromises and improvements that address the pilots’ demands,” said Lamontagne. “Despite these efforts, ALPA has shown no openness, and the discussions have not led to an agreement.”
Air Transat said it has already proposed a five-year agreement to pilots that includes a 59% salary increase over five years and “major improvements” to working conditions.
The airline described the union’s requests as “unreasonable” and warned that an early strike could lead to “serious consequences” for passengers, the company, and its 4,300 other staff.
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