Air Transat has cancelled six flights amid down-to-the-wire talks with the pilots’ union to avert a walkout that could begin at 3 a.m. on Wednesday.
The airline said Tuesday that it made an improved offer to the Air Line Pilots Association the previous evening, and that bargaining with its 750 pilots resumed this morning.
“We are working tirelessly and still hope to reach an agreement today in order to minimize disruptions to operations,” said Air Transat spokesperson Andréan Gagné.
The airline has added extra return flights early this week to bring home passengers who could otherwise be stranded at vacation resorts if a walkout begins on Wednesday.
All flights scheduled for Monday operated as planned. Air Transat said it has notified passengers booked on six flights cancelled on Tuesday. The affected routes run between Toronto and Montreal and the vacation destinations of Punta Cana and Cancun, in both directions.
“We reaffirm the generous nature of our increased offer and call on the union to show openness and take a step toward us,” said Gagné.
Since January, Air Transat and its pilots’ union have been locked in negotiations for a new contract to replace the one signed in 2015, but they have yet to find common ground.
Air Transat said Monday that should no agreement be reached before Wednesday, flights scheduled to return after the strike begins will be cancelled by end of day Tuesday.
