As of today, the collective agreement for Air Transat pilots, which has been in effect for over a decade, has expired. Represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA), the pilots have expressed the need for a new agreement. Over the past ten years, pilots have twice deferred their professional interests to support their employer through a failed merger with Air Canada and pandemic recovery efforts. They now seek adjustments in their contract to reflect today’s aviation economic realities.
“For a decade, our pilots have repeatedly made significant sacrifices—delaying career growth, quality of life, and fair compensation—to help stabilize and grow this company,” said Captain Bradley Small, Air Transat Master Executive Council chair. “Since the end of the pandemic, over 170 pilots have left the airline to pursue better opportunities elsewhere; as a result, the airline has continually struggled to attract and retain flight crew.”
Currently, the pilots’ contract lags behind industry standards in Canada and North America, unlike peers who are forming progressively future-focused agreements. Captain Small remarked, “Negotiations for a new contract aren’t just about pay rates… Our pilots desperately need modern compensation to reflect the value they bring to the airline, improve their quality of life, and ensure substantive job security. We cannot accept a patchwork fix.”
As Air Transat gears towards future growth, ALPA urges the airline to invest in frontline staff to support this expansion. Pilot salaries only constitute five percent of Air Transat’s overall operating costs, stated CEO Annick Guérard during an investor relations call.
Captain Small added, “The cost of fair wages is a fraction of the company’s budget, but the cost of ignoring pilot needs is far greater… No pilots mean no expansion. It’s that simple.”
ALPA, founded in 1931, is the largest pilot union globally, representing over 79,000 pilots across 42 airlines in the U.S. and Canada.
