Air Canada pilot strike imminent: Will flights be cancelled?

Air Canada has contingency plans to stop all flights “through an orderly cessation of operations” in the event of a threatened pilot strike. The flight crew are demanding higher wages and a rapprochement with their US colleagues.

After 15 months of salary negotiations, the Air Line Pilots Association (Alpa) is expected to call up Air Canada's 5,200 pilots starting Wednesday, September 18.

“The travel plans of hundreds of thousands of Canadians are at stake,” said Michael Rousseau, President and CEO of Air Canada.

The union says: “We are working under a 10-year-old contract at a time when inflation in Canada has skyrocketed, leaving our wages far behind the rising cost of living and wages of our industry peers. It is time for a contract that recognizes our contributions to Air Canada.”

But the airline says: “The average salary of an Air Canada pilot has increased by more than double the rate of inflation. A pilot who was with Air Canada in 2014, at the start of the current contract, saw an hourly wage increase of 65 percent.”

The airline says its captains received at least 215,075 Canadian dollars (£121,000) last year, with some earning up to 63 percent more, for an average workload of no more than 13.3 days per month.

Air Canada is preparing to completely close its mainline operations and its low-cost brand Rouge.

These are the most important questions and answers.

How far are the two sides from each other?

To some extent. Air Canada says it has “worked hard and in good faith for 14 months to reach a new collective agreement.” The airline says it will be “the highest-paid airline in the country for pilots once a new collective agreement is reached.” But it must balance that against “the costs involved and customers' willingness to pay this increase through higher fares, as well as its responsibility to its shareholders as a publicly traded company.”

The pilots' union Alpa has asked for public support. The chair of the Canadian branch of Alpa, First Officer Charlene Hudy, told CBC: “Canadians have to understand that we do not want to end up in this situation.”

“We take our work incredibly seriously. When we enter the cockpit, a great responsibility rests on our shoulders.”

The union emphasizes: “We are approaching the negotiations with a cooperative and constructive attitude.” However, it has also set up a “strike center” in Toronto, the city with Canada's busiest airport, and organized demonstrations in the run-up to a possible strike.

What happens next?

On Sunday, September 15, Alpa is legally able to announce a 72-hour strike. Wednesday, September 18 is the earliest day a strike could begin. Alternatively, the airline could decide to lock out pilots from that day.

Air Canada warns that in the event of a strike, operations would have to cease immediately. The airline explains: “Flights across the system would be gradually cancelled over three days, with a complete suspension as early as 00:01 EDT.” [5.01am in the UK] on Wednesday, September 18th.

Air Canada says it would take a long time to reverse a closure. “For a large, global network airline, there are no short closures,” the airline said in a statement.

“The airline's daily operations require a complex choreography of crews, aircraft, ground and airport staff, suppliers and customers. If a single element is disrupted, it impacts the entire airline and it can take days for the system to return to normal.

“Given the number of aircraft affected, they would have to be parked in unusual locations at major airports (such as de-icing bays).”

“When an aircraft is parked, maintenance teams must place each aircraft into a state of active storage. This requires performing certain tasks, such as installing covers to protect the aircraft systems.

“Crews would be relocated worldwide as many aircraft would have to be parked outside crew bases. It would take several days to bring hundreds of crew members back on other airlines as there would be very few seats available.”

What impact does this have on passengers?

Air Canada carries 110,000 passengers daily. The airline says: “Please be assured that we will notify you of any impacts to your flight schedule prior to travel.”

If your flight was due to depart from the UK or EU and is cancelled, Air Canada must do much more than simply “inform you of any impact”.

According to European air passenger rights, the airline that cancels the flight must find an alternative way to get you to your destination as close to the original flight as possible.

The obvious replacement would be British Airways or WestJet between the UK and Canada, assuming seats are available. Air Canada is also likely to transfer passengers to its Star Alliance partner United. This would mean flying via the US – which would be quite a hassle, as the hour or two you spend there between flights would mean going through the tedious process of applying for an ESTA authorization and crossing the US border.

The Civil Aviation Authority has made it clear that if you are not offered a replacement on the same day, you can take matters into your own hands and purchase another ticket, which you can then get back from the cancelling airline.

However, with many airlines' flights fully booked, this could make for a difficult trip.

While passengers wait to be flown to their destination, they can expect to be provided with hotel accommodation and meals if required.

Regional flights on Air Canada Express are not affected. However, if you cannot reach Vancouver, for example, the fact that there is a daily Air Canada Express service to Prince Rupert is irrelevant.

Will the strike actually take place?

In aviation, I have seen more pilot strikes called off at the last minute than actually taking place. From a pilots' union perspective, the mere threat of a strike is a valuable bargaining position. It means that potential passengers immediately start booking with other airlines, giving them some certainty about their trip. This hurts the airline's revenue, so there is a strong incentive to reach an agreement well in advance of the strike.

However, the fact that Air Canada is limiting its operations shows that the company is willing to accept a halt in operations.

Air Canada CEO Michael Rousseau called on Ottawa to intervene: “We remain committed to reaching a negotiated solution with Alpa. However, the Canadian federal government should be prepared to intervene if talks fail before travel disruptions occur.”

And when the dispute is settled?

Air Canada warns it will take days to resume normal operations, saying: “In the event of a short disruption, many crew members would still be on their way home while the airline attempts to resume operations. Crew members will need rest breaks after returning home, which means an additional 24 hours of unavailability.”

“Weather conditions at our hubs could make restarting even more difficult, particularly if a large number of aircraft are parked in one location during a disruption to operations.”

Delays are even worse on transatlantic and other international flights, Air Canada explains: “Flights have to fly to an international destination, wait there for 24 to 28 hours and then return, which leads to a high number of cancellations on international flights.”

“As soon as an international flight lands at a foreign destination, a new, rested crew already on site will operate the return flight. Stationing the crew at these destinations early extends the preparation process by three to five days.”

Will I receive compensation?

This is questionable; there is no consensus that travellers whose flights have been cancelled are entitled to financial compensation in the context of industrial action.

Could travel insurance help?

In certain circumstances, such as additional costs caused by the strike that cannot be covered by anyone else, but in most cases the airline is liable for the expenses.