Passengers brace for delays as Air Transat prepares for pilot strike action

Air Transat flights could be disrupted as early as Wednesday morning as the airline prepares for a pilot strike ahead of the very busy holiday travel season.

Some passengers at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport say they are trying to stay calm, while others not so much.

Travelers bound for Cancun, Mexico, say they’re hoping their return plans won’t be disrupted after Air Transat pilots, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association International (ALPA), announced a possible strike this week.

Many people are bracing for last-minute changes if negotiations fail.

“I’m just going with the flow,” said Ryan Keith, an Air Transat passenger. “Hopefully there’s no strike but if it does, we’re just gonna make alternate arrangements to get home at the end of our vacation.”

Western University’s DANCAP Private Equity Chair of Human Organization Geraint Harvey says both sides know a strike would be costly and that pressure may push them toward a deal.

“It’s very bad for the airline, and it’s very bad for pilots,” said Harvey. “Neither party actually wants to see this through, but both parties feel strongly that what they are either offering or what they’re asking for is legitimate.”

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On Sunday, ALPA, the world’s largest pilot union representing more than 80,000 pilots at 42 airlines in Canada and the U.S., issued a 72-hour strike notice to airline management.

This means pilots could be on the picket line as early as 3 a.m. Eastern Standard Time this Wednesday.

“I’m hoping they can come to an agreement where both sides can somewhat be satisfied,” said Monique Taylor-Yee-shura, an Air Transat passenger.

Negotiators are seeking what they call a “modern contract”, one with competitive pay, updated work rules, stronger benefits and better job security.

“They’re negotiating with an airline that isn’t, you know, incredibly buoyant financially, and is looking obviously to limit its financial obligations and so we’ve gotten to a situation where both parties are coming at this [with] very different minds,” said Harvey.

Capt. Bradley Small, chair of the Air Transat Master Executive Council, said in a statement, “months of unproductive bargaining ends now. If we cannot reach an agreement, management will be responsible for every canceled flight and stranded passenger.”

Experts say at this point, even the possibility of a strike is likely to impact passenger numbers.

That’s because travellers worry about disruptions and may choose to book elsewhere.

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