Name: Travelers anxiously wait as Air Transat warns of flight suspensions
Uploaded: 2025-12-08T14:08:58.124Z
Duration: 2 min 24 s
Description: Air Transat says it will begin suspending flights on Monday, followed by a complete suspension on Tuesday in response to a 72-hour strike mandate issued by the union representing its pilots.

Air Transat says it will begin suspending flights on Monday, followed by a complete suspension on Tuesday in response to a 72-hour strike mandate issued by the union representing its pilots.

Vancouver

Air Transat has announced it will begin suspending flights, with a full suspension planned, as its pilots prepare to strike following a breakdown in contract negotiations. The pilots, represented by the Airline Pilots Association, are seeking pay and benefits comparable to those at Air Canada and WestJet, as well as improved working conditions and job security.

The airline has offered a 59% salary increase over five years and is working to repatriate passengers currently abroad to prevent them from being stranded. Air Transat is allowing concerned passengers to rebook free of charge or receive reimbursement if their flights are cancelled.

Travelers anxiously wait as Air Transat warns of flight suspensions

Transat pilots are ready to walk off the job. The Montreal-based company says it will begin suspending flights on Monday, followed by a complete suspension on Tuesday. Basically we're just told we just have to sit and wait, keep checking the flight status, you know, keep checking your emails and all of these things when we should just be packing and getting ready. I am worried because I'm afraid that I won't be able to come back home and it will affect, you know, my academics. The airline pilots association said the company left it no choice but to issue the strike notice. The union says their pilot's contract was negotiated 10 years ago. They want the company to bring their pay and benefits in line with their counterparts at Air Canada and WestJet and to improve working conditions and job security. I can guarantee you this is a last resort. Our pilots don't want to go on strike. We want to be there to fly our passengers around to their destinations. That's the goal. Air Transat flies domestically and to dozens of international destinations. There are about 10,000 passengers a day booked on those flights through the holidays, says this aviation expert. Canadians, you know, are kind of fed up with aviation disruptions. We've seen a number in the last 18 to 24 months and I think that this one is another one that kind of indicates to me that there is a problem in labour relations in the aviation industry. Air Transat called the strike notice premature. It has been negotiating with the pilots union for the last 11 months and recently offered a 59 percent salary increase over five years. There was a gap that needed to be bridged for the pilots from a salary perspective and we recognize that and this is what we're offering right now. It's also in line with the fact that we are a leisure carrier in the Canadian market and what we want to do is and remain competitive and make, you know, travel affordable for our passengers. The company says it will start to repatriate passengers who are abroad to prevent them from getting stranded in case there is a strike. And so what should people do if they're planning to fly Air Transat over the next few days? So Air Transat says any passengers who are concerned that their flights may be affected can rebook free of charge. So essentially they will get a travel voucher to fly on a different day. Now if your flight happens to be cancelled, the airline says it will reimburse those passengers. Caroline Bargute at Vancouver International Airport.

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