Whether it’s Air Canada Rouge or WestJet’s Swoop, it’s no secret pilots flying the same aircraft at different pay rates are not happy about it.
The disgruntled pilots at WestJet now have leverage. CityNews reports the terms of the as-yet unratified agreement between WS pilots and the airline include a clause for fully integrating Swoop into WestJet by OCT, 2024. Which would spell the end of Swoop.
A person close to the matter has confirmed to Open Jaw that “yes, terminating Swoop is part of the new pilots' agreement," adding that “this puts eyes squarely on (recently-acquired) Sunwing as a target during their next contract renewal. Unless, piloting Boeing 737s is common rated for both carriers.”
As Open Jaw previously reported, at the eleventh hour WestJet managed to avert a pilot strike by reaching a tentative agreement with ALPA (Air Line Pilots Association).
The WestJet pilot negotiations are part of a broader push by pilots across the continent, including Canada, for much-enhanced compensation and terms of employment amid booming demand for air travel and simultaneous pilot shortages.
