Air Canada will start winding down operations on Sunday as it prepares for its 5,400 pilots to go on strike on Sept. 18. The airline says the “orderly shutdown” will repatriate aircraft from international destinations and ensure the system is ready for an organized restoration of service. The airline has warned that it could take 10 days to get back to normal even if the strike is short-lived.
Air Canada pilots, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, are looking for parity with those at other North American airlines and are using Delta’s contract, which pays its pilots about 45% more than Air Canada’s. Air Canada has argued that the barriers to entry are lower because there is no 1500-hour rule and airline pilots are harder to come by. It has offered a 30% pay hike. A strike will cancel about 670 flights per day. The union has been without a contract for more than a year. The previous deal stretched for an unprecedented 10 years and is considered a major factor in the pilots falling so far behind.
