Hundreds of layoffs announced at major Canadian airline, company says cuts are temporary

Hundreds of layoffs have been announced at a major Canadian airline, which the company says are temporary.

Between 350 and 400 flight attendants will be laid off at Air Transat effective Nov. 1, the company confirmed in a statement sent to INsauga.com.

“The layoffs are temporary due to the seasonality of our airline operations and a capacity reduction announced earlier this year,” the statement said.

“This measure is in accordance with the collective agreement and is common in the industry, which Air Transat has used several times in the past. From 2010 to 2016, for example, we were talking about an average of 455 flight attendants per year.”

Transat said “several mitigation measures” were offered and implemented beforehand, like unpaid leave or a mini flight program.

“We plan to recall staff in due course as soon as our flight schedule allows,” the statement concluded.

Earlier this month, The Canadian Press reported that the company was preparing to lay off up to 80 workers as the tour operator struggles to turn its finances around, according to a preliminary notice sent to the Quebec government.

Over the course of the year, the company has felt the headwinds of stiff competition, engine recalls and the threat of a union strike, which together conspired to drain more money from the struggling outfit.

Transat said in an email at the time that if the layoffs occurred, they would not apply to pilots, flight attendants or other federally regulated roles.

–With files from The Canadian Press