(Toronto) The potential interruption of Canada’s largest airline flights due to a labor conflict arouses concern for the business community regarding the damage it could cause to an already fragile economy.
“Remove the main national airline is simply brutal, especially at the moment,” said Dan Kelly, president of the Canadian Federation of the Independent Company (FCEI).
Air Canada has already started to cancel flights, warning that some 500 flights would be deleted on Friday, while more than 10,000 on -board agents are ready to break out shortly before 1 hour on Saturday if the two parties do not reach an agreement.
The airline and the union reject each other for the impasse.
An interruption would disrupt the trips of companies that seek new customers and trade partners in the context of American customs duties, according to Dan Kelly, of the FCEI.
“Many companies are working hard to diversify their markets in Canada or to establish new trade relations abroad and with other business partners, and this could have a very direct impact on these activities,” he added.
No respite for tourism
The tourism sector, which is still struggling to find stability, will be immediately affected, argued Matthew Jelley, president of the Canadian Tourism Industry Association.
“We are in the midst of a tourist season and many tourist companies are seasonal. Therefore, what can be a civil day can actually represent the equivalent of a week of activity, “he said.
He added that the industry already undergoes the effects of customs duties and the evolution of demand, which makes the addition of a strike particularly difficult to manage.
Unfortunately, the tourism industry has experienced many disturbances in recent years, and each time we think we have a moment of respite, we are faced with another situation.
Matthew Jelley, president of the Canadian Tourism Industry Association
He hopes that all parties will come together to find a solution and, in the case of government representatives, that they will not neglect any aspects to protect companies and get things done.
Pressure on supply chains
“At a time when Canada faces unprecedented pressures on its essential economic supply chains, the disruption of national passenger and cargo air transport services would cause immediate and considerable damage to all Canadians,” said Goldy Hyder, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Affairs Council, in a statement published on Friday.
The Canada Chamber of Commerce has published similar warnings and calls, as is the Toronto Region Chamber of Commerce, which highlighted the importance of Air Canada activities for the economy, especially for the 130,000 travelers traveling daily with Air Canada, as well as for freight.
In addition to passenger transport, a potential interruption affects freight shipments. Air Canada has warned that all existing reservations are likely to be delayed or canceled.
The airline has said that it no longer accepts new reservations for various freight divisions, including AC Horses, AS PharmaCair and AC ECOMMERCE, while its AC freshness division still authorizes reservations to several European capitals.
The airline said it sets up a modified cargo flight schedule in order to mitigate certain disturbances. The carrier said that this measure would protect around 20 to 25 % of the usual volumes, but not all the destinations usually served by the network for Air Canada passengers.
Air Canada asked the Federal Minister of Employment, Patty Hajdu, to intervene and order the parties to resort to enforceable arbitration. The Air Canada component of the SCFP indicated that it wanted to avoid a work stoppage, but urged the federal government not to intervene and to allow the pursuit of collective negotiations.
