Canadian airline begins canceling flights ahead of possible union strike on Wednesday

One of Canada's largest airlines, Air Transat, on Monday said it will begin cancelling flights and gradually winding down operations after the union representing its pilots issued a strike notice.

In a statement, the airline said the Air Line Pilots Association notified the company on December 7 that a strike could begin as early as Wednesday.

Air Transat said this "compels us to implement an action plan" that includes repatriation flights, adding capacity on some routes, and an "orderly shutdown" of operations. The carrier said some flights have been canceled and warned that more disruptions are expected until an agreement is reached.

The BBC reported that the union issued a 72-hour notice on Sunday, saying pilots will stop reporting to work on Wednesday if no deal is reached.

Union leader Capt. Bradley Small, quoted by the BBC, said in a statement, "No pilot wants to strike, but Air Transat management has left us no choice. Months of unproductive bargaining ends now. If we cannot reach an agreement, management will be responsible for every cancelled flight and stranded passenger."

Air Transat, which called the strike notice "premature," said in its statement that negotiations continue and that it aims to resume normal operations as soon as possible.