Canada's Air Transat pilots approve five-year contract

Jan 6 (Reuters) - Pilots at Canadian airline Air Transat TRZ.TO overwhelmingly approved a new five-year contract on Tuesday, according to the Air Line Pilots Association, which represents 725 members at the carrier.

Roughly 90 percent of Air Transat pilots approved the contract, which increases pay and schedule flexibility, according to the union. The two sides reached the terms in early December, narrowly averting a strike by the pilots.

“While it was unfortunate that this level of pressure was required, it was our unity that ultimately delivered results," Captain Bradley Small, chair of ALPA’s Air Transat Master Executive Council, said in a statement.

The new agreement is backdated to May 1, 2025, and expires April 30, 2030.

The carrier focuses primarily on holiday travel to international destinations in Europe, the Caribbean, the U.S. East Coast, South America and Africa, according to its website.