Disruption with Air Canada flights likely, aviation analyst says

Air Canada customers will likely face disruptions as soon as this weekend, an aviation expert warns, as tensions mount between the carrier and its unionized pilots.

"You're looking at …a significant number of Air Canada flights being cancelled. Air Canada cannot operate its mainline fleet," said John Gradek, an aviation analyst and lecturer at McGill University, who believes some sort of impact will be felt as the airline's pilots move closer to a threatened strike. 

Gradek said the tension dates back about a decade, when Air Canada signed a deal with the Air Canada Pilots Association. That deal has now expired, and the union, which represents about 5,200 pilots, is fighting for wages that compare with pilots across North America. 

Negotiations between Air Canada and the union have taken over a year so far, and they have until Sept. 18 before both parties face a legal strike or a work lockout. However, talks have been stalled.

A mandatory 72-hour notice could come as soon as 12:01 a.m. ET on Sunday, and Air Canada says will it wind down its operations in anticipation of action. 

If the dispute comes to a work stoppage, Gradek says, a slew of inconveniences for customers will follow.

Newfoundland and Labrador politicians have flagged the potential dispute as a grave concern, as Air Canada is the largest carrier serving the island. 

"However, Air Canada Express will maintain its operation … and they have other regional carriers that are still going to be operating out of Newfoundland," he said. 

"It's not as if Newfoundland would be cut off from the air services. There will be other carriers offering services, albeit not at the same volume receipts, but there will be seats available. And unfortunately, the carriers have been raising their fares as a result of a potential strike."

The last time Air Canada workers went on strike, in 1998, about 60,000 customers were disrupted a day. Fleets and services have expanded exponentially since then, and Gradek said the estimated affected customers could reach about 123,000 passengers a day if a strike happens.

Newfoundland and Labrador is a notably difficult province to travel in and out of, Gradek notes, but he said it's important to respect the workers' rights to strike and negotiate fair compensation.

Montreal resident Zoe Compton, who is visiting St. John's, told CBC News she is nervous. 

"I looked at the options and it was either rebook outside the dates that I had to travel or just test your luck," said Compton, who is scheduled to fly out Monday, heading ultimately to Calgary. "So I'm testing my luck."

Air Canada has asked the federal government to block a strike if the company cannot reach a deal with the pilots' union, blaming "unreasonable demands" for the delay of a deal.