A demonstration by Air Canada pilots is expected Tuesday morning at the Vancouver International Airport. Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA), the union representing the pilots, will hold nationwide informational pickets at YVR, Toronto, Montreal, and Winnipeg. “Hundreds of Air Canada pilots, supported by their peers from other airlines, will stand together, strong and unified, to demonstrate their resolve and solidarity in modernizing the decade-old contract,” wrote ALPA on Tuesday. According to the union, the Air Canada pilots entered federal conciliation with their employer at the end of June. ALPA says that if it is unable to come to terms with its employer by the end of the cooling-off period, pilots could take job action as early as mid-September. “Our goal is to reach an agreement," said Charlene Hudy, the chair of ALPA’s Air Canada master executive council. "However, our employer continues to force us closer to a strike position by not listening to our needs at the negotiating table regarding fair compensation, respectable retirement benefits, and quality-of-life improvements. Last week, it was announced that the union had voted 98% in favour of a strike. In a statement, Air Canada wrote that it intends to reach a negotiated settlement with its pilots. The airline says there has been significant progress in talks and the three-week cooling off period gives the parties more than sufficient time to address any outstanding issues. “Air Canada is fully committed to bargaining meaningfully throughout the period,” wrote Air Canada. “However, certainty about their travel plans is important to customers. For this reason, Air Canada has introduced a goodwill policy to give all customers flexibility with imminent travel plans.”<br/>
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Air Canada is offering passengers who have booked flights around the date of a possible pilot strike next month some increased flexibility in rebooking their travel. The airline says progress has been made in its negotiations and it hopes to reach a deal, but it still faces the possibility of a strike by its 5,400 pilots as early as Sept. 17. The Air Line Pilots Association has not set a strike date, but the pilots have voted overwhelmingly to approve a strike mandate if an agreement on a new contract cannot be reached. Under the airline's policy, customers with tickets for travel between Sept. 15 and 23 can rebook on any other Air Canada flight with the same origin and destination up to Nov. 30 at no additional cost. Customers who want to cancel and rebook their travel for after that date will have their change fees waived but will have to pay any fare difference. Travellers with bookings during the affected period may also cancel their flight and receive a credit for future travel. Refunds will be available for customers with refundable tickets, but Air Canada says refunds will not be available for those with non-refundable tickets as the flights are scheduled to operate as normal. The policy applies to all Air Canada-operated flights, including Air Canada mainline, Air Canada Rouge, Air Canada Express flights operated by Jazz or PAL Airlines, and Air Canada Vacations.<br/>
Scandinavian airline SAS said on Wednesday that it has completed its restructuring proceedings and emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings in the United States. The company said that it has successfully restructured more than $2b of debt.<br/>
SAS has resolved a dispute with Norwegian cabin crew unions after flight attendants initiated a work stoppage. The Scandinavian carrier has reached an agreement with the two unions, NKF and SNK, after four days of disruption to services. SAS states that only a “limited number” of flights – mainly in Norway – were affected, and it expects the traffic programme to be fully restored on 28 August. “Finally, we can resume normal operations and fly our customers to their desired destinations and continue our important work going forward,” says airline services chief Kjetil Habjorg. Habjorg adds that the carrier will be able to put its “full focus” on finalising its ‘SAS Forward’ restructuring scheme and “set the course to build and grow a profitable airline”. Head of the SAS Norge cabin association, within the employee organisation Parat, Martinus Rokkum confirms the strike is over. He says the salary increase of around 7.5% this year, backdated to May, is in line with other carriers in Norway. While he argues that the salary level overall remains low, the agreement – covering 2024-26 – is satisfactory, adding that the unions have secured reductions in workload as part of a deal on revised working conditions. SAS has been under US Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection over the course of the restructuring process. The carrier is set to leave Star Alliance for SkyTeam on 1 September.<br/>
As record tourists flock to Japan for its world-renowned hospitality, exceptional sushi and ancient shrines, the country’s airlines are facing a severe shortage of pilots. And finding them won’t be easy. Japan currently has about 7,100 pilots and the government projects another 1,000 will be needed by 2030 to help meet its target of attracting some 60m tourists that same year. In an acknowledgment that may mean looking outside for talent, measures being considered by a panel set up by the transport ministry earlier this year include converting foreign pilots’ licenses to Japanese ones at a faster and cheaper rate. But there are several reasons why hiring pilots from overseas isn’t proving easy. There’s opposition from local unions and carriers in Japan typically pay less than airlines elsewhere. Compounding the shortage, many airline captains, currently aged in their 50s, are set to retire by around 2030, according to the ministry. “Major airlines will have to revise their internal operational processes to accommodate non-Japanese speaking pilots,” said Nobuhito Abe, a partner and the Asia Pacific lead of aerospace and industrials at Kearney. Japanese carriers still have “very domestic internal processes.” On average, captains at Japan Airlines Co. and All Nippon Airways Co. receive annual salaries of around ¥25m ($172,900), an industry source said. A pilot with 12 years flying experience at Delta Air Lines Inc. meanwhile can expect to get about $453,000 while someone flying for American Airlines Inc. would be in line for about $480,000, the source said. An influx of foreign pilots would likely also rankle local staff, inciting fears of inferior treatment or being passed over for promotions. Like many professions in Japan, Japanese pilots often see their job as one for life. Historically, the bulk of pilots coming up through the system in Japan are either hired as fresh recruits by ANA or JAL, or graduate from the government-funded Civil Aviation College, which takes in around 100 students each year.<br/>
The national carrier has cancelled four flights between Singapore and Osaka as a strong typhoon barrels towards southern Japan on Aug 28. In an advisory posted on the Singapore Airlines (SIA) website on Aug 26, it said that the affected flights slated to operate to and from Osaka’s Kansai International Airport were cancelled due to forecasted weather conditions caused by Typhoon Shanshan. SIA said in its advisory it would be contacting all affected customers to inform them of the flight cancellations and apologised for the inconvenience. “Customers may request to be reaccommodated on alternative flights, subject to seat availability, or seek a full refund for the unused portion of their ticket,” it added. In Japan, All Nippon Airways (ANA) has plans to cancel 110 domestic flights slated to leave or arrive in south-western Japan on Aug 28, affecting around 4,200 passengers, public broadcaster NHK reported. Japan Airlines also plans to cancel 80 domestic flights from Aug 28 to Aug 30, according to the report. Typhoon Shanshan is expected to cross the Amami island area on Aug 28, packing gusts of up to 216kmh before veering towards the main southern island of Kyushu. “Maximum caution is required given that forecasts are for strong winds, high waves and high tides that have not been seen thus far,” the Japan Meteorological Agency warned.<br/>
Sydney Airport will be Shanghai-based Juneyao Air’s first Australian destination, beating Melbourne by just two days. The Chinese carrier will operate four weekly 787-9 flights starting 17 December, ahead of Melbourne on 19 December. It will be the ninth concurrent mainland Chinese carrier to fly into Sydney, and will add 53,000 weekly seats, pushing mainland China capacity to 101% of pre-COVID levels. The services to Shanghai, which will help fill a gap left behind by Qantas axing its Sydney-Shanghai route earlier this year, have the potential to become daily flights over peak months in 2025. According to Scott Charlton, CEO of Sydney Airport, Sydney captured 49% of incoming mainland China passengers in the 12 months to June 2024. “We are proud to welcome Juneyao Air to Sydney Airport, the home of Chinese airlines in Australia. The introduction of Juneyao’s services in December provides passengers from mainland China with unprecedented choice and convenience when traveling to Sydney,” he said. “This expansion is a strong vote of confidence in Sydney as the premier gateway to Australia and underscores the enduring appeal of New South Wales to Chinese travellers. We’re especially pleased to have worked in partnership with Destination NSW and the NSW Government to deliver this service.”<br/>