Carriers in Canada are gearing up as the country’s largest airline prepares for a possible shutdown next week — a prospect that would leave thousands of Canadians’ fall travel plans up in the air.

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Competing carriers prepare for the potential shutdown of Air Canada Back to video

Discount carriers such as Flair Airlines Ltd. and Porter Airlines told the Financial Post that additional flight schedules may be added in the case that Air Canada halts its operations.

Air Canada has revealed its plan to suspend flight operations as early as Sunday to mitigate the impact of a potential plan to suspend.

The airline said Monday that unless an agreement is reached with the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), which represents Air Canada’s 5,200 pilots, a three-day wind down plan will begin. By midnight on Sept. 15, either party may issue a 72-hour strike or lockout notice.

The disruption would affect the close to 670 daily flights Air Canada operates, carrying more than 110,000 passengers within Canada or internationally.

Air Canada said it has been trying to secure space on other carriers for customers in the event of flight cancellations, although seats are limited. This means the rest of its customers would have to get a refund or travel credit, or agree to fly on Air Canada at a later date.

Customers whose flights are cancelled by Air Canada will be notified and be eligible for a full refund online.

Flair said it is adding flights to “essential, high-volume routes” to ensure as many additional passengers can get where they need to go in the event their plans are thwarted by an Air Canada strike.

“As you can imagine, we’re preparing as best as we can for what looks to be an inevitability,” said Flair’s director of communications, Kim Bowie.

Porter Airlines said it may be able to make modest schedule additions, but will focus on using resources to operate its core flight schedule. It said seats are still available on most routes for the near term.

In an email, WestJet Airlines Ltd. said its focus remains on delivering air service to Canadians, and fares purchased close to departure are typically higher than if booked in advance. The airline did not say whether it will add additional flights to its existing schedules.

“Disruptions to Canada’s aviation ecosystem are incredibly impactful to Canadians and the communities that rely on air travel as an essential service,” said WestJet spokesperson Madison Kruger.

National Bank analyst Cameron Doerksen said an orderly shutdown ahead of a strike or lockout is the right move for Air Canada, as it risks having aircraft stranded around the world, making a restart of operations much more challenging.

Doerksen noted that the financial implications of a work stoppage, causing a loss of most of its revenue, would be significant for Air Canada.

em>• Email: dpaglinawan@postmedia.com

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