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Air Canada will commence winding down operations on Sunday in anticipation of a strike by its 5,400 pilots set for September 18. The airline stated that the "orderly shutdown" aims to repatriate aircraft from international destinations and prepare the system for an organized restoration of service. The company has cautioned that it may take up to ten days to return to normal operations even if the strike is brief.
Air Canada pilots, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, are seeking parity with their counterparts at other North American airlines. They are using Delta's contract as a benchmark, which offers its pilots approximately 45% more than what Air Canada currently pays. In response, Air Canada has argued that barriers to entry are lower due to the absence of a 1,500-hour rule and that airline pilots are more challenging to recruit. The airline has proposed a 30% pay increase.
A strike would result in the cancellation of about 670 flights per day. The union has been operating without a contract for over a year. The previous agreement lasted for an unprecedented ten years and is seen as a significant factor in the pilots' current wage disparity.
