Air Canada Pilot Strike Threatens Morocco-Canada Flights

In Canada, the threat of a strike in the aviation sector is looming on the horizon and could lead to the cancellation of flights between Montreal and Casablanca. At the origin, a power struggle that pits Air Canada’s pilots against the company’s management. Its 5,200 pilots are demanding wage increases, in the context of inflation and soaring prices in the country, while the company’s management is still unable to meet their demands. "Air Canada believes there is still time to reach an agreement with its group of pilots, if the ALPA moderates its wage demands, which far exceed the average wage increases in Canada," said Michael Rousseau, President and CEO of the company, who is fine-tuning "the final details of emergency plans to suspend most of its activities".

If the company and the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), which represents the pilots of Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge, fail to reach an agreement, each party can file a 72-hour strike or lockout notice as of September 15, 2024. "We are aware of the inconvenience this situation could cause our customers, and we are sorry about that. However, an orderly stoppage is the only responsible option available to us," Rousseau explained. Charlene Hudy, President of the Air Canada Executive Council (CES) with ALPA, does not share this view. "Air Canada has the power to avoid a strike and the significant disruptions it will cause to air travel, but it must start by being serious at the negotiating table and recognize the value that our pilots bring to the airline," she criticized. In the event that the company imposes a strike or lockout and an operational shutdown, "we must ensure that our pilots are fully supported, as they will be scattered around the world," she added.

Negotiations between the two parties, which began last June, have still not been fruitful.