Skift Take
Air Canada's shutdown plan throws fuel onto an already heated dispute. The parties are continuing to talk, but the preparation of contingency measures suggests a total shutdown of the airline by next week is a real and growing possibility.
Air Canada is warning of an “orderly shutdown” of its flying program — potentially before the end of the week. On Monday morning, the flag carrier issued a strongly worded statement in response to a long-running labor dispute.
It said talks with the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) are “nearing [an] impasse,” citing the organization’s “excessive wage demands.” Meetings between the union and the airline are ongoing, but the company warned that the parties remain far from an agreement.
Unless a deal is reached, from Sunday, September 15, either party may issue a 72-hour strike or lock-out notice. The company says this would trigger its wind-down plan.
Bosses at Air Canada and its leisure subsidiary Air Canada Rouge are