Air Canada pilots strike;
isle flights threatened

From staff and wire reports

Air Canada canceled flights for today and tomorrow after its 2,100 pilots went on strike demanding higher pay and better working conditions. Further flight cancellations would be made on a day-to-day basis, the company said.

The strike followed a breakdown last night in talks between the airline and pilots. No further talks were scheduled, airline spokeswoman Priscille LeBlanc said.

Air Canada carries approximately 60,000 passengers daily and many were stranded at airports around the world.

The Montreal-based airline has two flights a week to Hawaii from Vancouver, B.C., using Boeing 767 aircraft with about 200 passengers. The first island flight that would be affected if the strike is still on will be a Saturday flight to Kahului, Maui. The next arrival is due in Honolulu Sunday.

Ground handling for passengers and cargo in Hawaii is done by United Airlines under contract so no layoffs are expected in the islands.

The strike is the first for the Air Canada Pilots Association, founded 61 years ago.

"Our management has failed to address our concerns and we are angered," association chairman Jean-Marc Belanger said.

Belanger said the union had come down considerably from its original demand of a 20 percent raise over two years to a request for a 12 percent salary increase.

The airline tried to make arrangements with 15 other air carriers around the world to take its passengers in the event of a strike.

However, many airlines were already booked solid with late-summer travelers and many travelers were left stranded.

On average, an Air Canada pilot makes $64,100 a year.