Canadian leisure carrier Air Transat has begun a phased shutdown of its network after the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) served a 72-hour strike notice late on December 7. The airline will ground most services between December 8 and 9 to avoid leaving passengers and crews stranded abroad. If no agreement is reached, up to 450 flights could be cancelled as early as 3 a.m. ET on December 10, disrupting winter sun routes to Mexico, the Caribbean and Florida as well as trans-Atlantic services to France, Portugal and the U.K.
Talks had been progressing but stalled over pay scales and scheduling rules. Transat says it has offered a 59 percent wage increase over five years, but ALPA argues that the proposal still leaves pilots below industry benchmarks set by Air Canada and WestJet. The two sides are continuing mediated negotiations; however, management says flight suspensions are necessary to protect passengers from mid-journey cancellations.
![Air Transat suspends flights ahead of 700-pilot strike, stranding holiday travellers]()
Corporate travel managers are advising clients to rebook critical trips on alternative carriers and to activate duty-of-care protocols for employees already overseas. Transat has implemented a flexible rebooking and refund policy until December 12, but travel-management companies warn that peak-season seat inventory on competing airlines is extremely tight and fares are spiking.
Logistics experts note that while Air Transat carries limited cargo, the walkout could still ripple through supply chains that rely on passenger belly-hold capacity for high-value perishables such as Quebec seafood bound for European holiday markets. Tourism boards in the Dominican Republic and Portugal are also bracing for a short-term dip in Canadian arrivals.
If the strike proceeds, Transat plans to operate minimal repatriation flights and essential services. Travellers with bookings beyond December 12 should monitor flight status daily, as a prolonged labour dispute could overlap with the busy year-end travel period, compounding disruption across Canadian airports.
Talks had been progressing but stalled over pay scales and scheduling rules. Transat says it has offered a 59 percent wage increase over five years, but ALPA argues that the proposal still leaves pilots below industry benchmarks set by Air Canada and WestJet. The two sides are continuing mediated negotiations; however, management says flight suspensions are necessary to protect passengers from mid-journey cancellations.
Corporate travel managers are advising clients to rebook critical trips on alternative carriers and to activate duty-of-care protocols for employees already overseas. Transat has implemented a flexible rebooking and refund policy until December 12, but travel-management companies warn that peak-season seat inventory on competing airlines is extremely tight and fares are spiking.
Logistics experts note that while Air Transat carries limited cargo, the walkout could still ripple through supply chains that rely on passenger belly-hold capacity for high-value perishables such as Quebec seafood bound for European holiday markets. Tourism boards in the Dominican Republic and Portugal are also bracing for a short-term dip in Canadian arrivals.
If the strike proceeds, Transat plans to operate minimal repatriation flights and essential services. Travellers with bookings beyond December 12 should monitor flight status daily, as a prolonged labour dispute could overlap with the busy year-end travel period, compounding disruption across Canadian airports.
