WestJet announced Thursday it has reached an agreement with the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) to save more than 1,000 pilot jobs.
On April 15, the airline had said that 1,700 pilots across WestJet, WestJet Encore and Swoop would be laid off due to the COVID-19 crisis.
Those pilots were set to lose their jobs on either May 1 or June 1, 2020, but Thursday’s announcement means the majority of pilots will remain employed.
Jeff Martin, WestJet’s chief operating officer, said keeping more pilots flying will help the airline return to service after the pandemic. [ Sign up for our Health IQ newsletter for the latest coronavirus updates ] “We thank ALPA for the joint effort in working with us to assist our airline in remaining flexible and