Air Transat pilots approve new contract that locks in big gains

Scott Hurst has more on the tentative deal between Air Transat and the union representing the airline’s 750 pilots, reached ahead of a possible strike.

MONTREAL — Air Transat pilots have ratified a new collective agreement after voting overwhelming in favour of the deal.

The vast majority of the leisure airline’s 750 aviators approved the five-year contract, which includes raises of more than 50 per cent for most pilots over that time period.

Backdated to May 1, the contract with owner Transat A.T. Inc. will remain in effect through April 2030.

Air Transat steered clear of a work stoppage that would have shut down operations last month after a tentative deal was reached with hours to go before a strike deadline.

The labour dispute would have marked the third strike in a year and a half in Canada’s airline sector, as workers seek to make gains that match those achieved elsewhere in North America amid the rising cost of living.

Transat CEO Annick Guérard says the agreement acknowledges the progress that was needed to catch up to the industry.

Bradley Small, who chairs the union’s Air Transat contingent, says it was “unfortunate” that the Air Line Pilots Association needed to apply so much pressure, but that the strategy delivered results.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 6, 2026.

Christopher Reynolds, The Canadian Press