MONTREAL, Dec 9 (Reuters) - Canadian leisure carrier Air
Transat and its pilots' union said on Tuesday they had
reached a tentative deal that promised higher pay and better
working conditions, averting a potential strike and allowing
operations to return to normal.
More than 750 pilots at the Montreal-based airline are set
to vote on ratifying the agreement in the coming days, the Air
Line Pilots Association (ALPA) said in a statement.
Air Transat said its operations were returning to normal
after it had started to suspend flights this week following a
72-hour strike notice from ALPA.
The union said the new contract "delivers on the goals of
better job security, enhanced compensation, and more flexible
schedules to allow for a better work-life balance."
The deal averted a second major strike at a Canadian
carrier this year. Flight attendants at Air Canada ( ACDVF ) walked off
the job in August, halting operations at the country's largest
airline for four days.
Air Transat had previously said it proposed compromises,
including a 59% salary increase over five years and improvements
to working conditions. The union and the airline did not provide
details of the tentative deal.
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.