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Canadian airline WestJet, pilots reach 11th-hour deal as strike averted
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WestJet Airlines pilots assemble for a group photo after standing on a picket line at Toronto Pearson International Airport, Monday, May 8, 2023. The picket is one of three at Canada's largest airports to show WestJet management they remain committed to negotiating a North American industry-standard contract. - photo by Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP
CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — Canada’s second-largest airline, WestJet, and its pilots union say they have reached a last-minute deal, averting a strike on Friday before a holiday weekend in the country. A statement from the Air Line Pilots Association says union leaders voted to approve an agreement-in-principle, with a membership vote to begin in the coming days. The airline had grounded the bulk of its fleet Thursday, including for its Swoop subsidiary, parking their 130 planes at airports across Canada and leaving thousands of travelers in limbo across the country.