MONTREAL — Air Transat and Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA), the union representing its pilots, have reached a tentative agreement, ending the risk of a strike.
“We are pleased to have finally reached a tentative agreement with the union representing our pilots, marking a complete overhaul of their collective agreement. We would have greatly preferred to avoid the threat of a strike, which forced us to modify our operations. We are aware that this period has created significant uncertainty, and we extend our sincerest apologies to our customers whose flights were disrupted in recent days. Our priority now is to quickly restore our operations and deliver on our commitment to provide service that meets our standards,” said Annick Guérard, President and Chief Executive Officer of Transat.
According to ALPA, Air Transat pilot leaders have just voted to approve a tentative agreement for pilot ratification this evening, Dec. 9, 2025.
The deal was reached shortly after news broke earlier today that Air Transat would be proceeding with a second wave of flight cancellations. The airline launched its repatriation program on Dec. 8.
“Our pilots have been frustrated flying under a decade-old, outdated collective agreement. This was compounded by months of stall tactics by Air Transat management during our nearly year-long negotiation,” said Capt. Bradley Small, chair of the Air Transat ALPA Master Executive Council (MEC). “That is why we are pleased to announce that our unity and resolve finally brought Air Transat management to the bargaining table to negotiate in a meaningful way, resulting in a Tentative Agreement.”
The two sides have been engaged in negotiations for more than 11 months. The agreement, says ALPA, delivers a modern contract that “recognizes the professional contributions of Air Transat pilots.”
More than 750 Air Transat pilots will vote on the agreement in the coming days.
“Our current pilot contract lags significantly behind industry standards in Canada and North America,” added Capt. Small. “We believe this new agreement meets the needs of today’s profession, consistent with collective agreements other ALPA-represented pilot groups are signing with their employers.”
