Air Canada pilots vote in favour of new contract, ending strike fears

Aviators voted 67 per cent in favour of the deal, which gives them a cumulative wage hike of nearly 42 per cent over four years

MONTREAL — Air Canada pilots have given a green light to a tentative agreement with the airline, easing any fears of a future strike.

The Air Line Pilots Association says aviators voted 67 per cent in favour of the deal to ratify the agreement.

The deal grants the carrier’s 5,400 pilots a cumulative wage hike of nearly 42 per cent over four years.

The increase outstrips major gains won last year by pilots at the three biggest U.S. airlines, where pay bumps ranged between 34 and 40 per cent — though they started from a higher baseline.