July 15, 2010 - The Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA), representing pilots employed by Air Transat, a division of Transat A.T., announced on Wednesday that a conciliation commissioner was appointed to oversee negotiations between Air Transat pilots and their employer.

The appointment formally initiates the conciliation process with the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) and sets in motion a series of hard deadlines for negotiators.

Air Transat A.T. Inc. is an airline based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, operating scheduled and charter flights, serving 90 destinations in 25 countries. The airline is owned and operated by Transat A.T. During the summer season its main destinations are Europe and in the winter season the Caribbean, Mexico, USA and South America. It is the designated carrier between Canada and Cuba.

?Air Transat pilots have contributed to the success of the company over many years,? said Captain Dan Adamus, president of ALPA?s Canada Board. ?It is time for the company to recognize the contribution the pilots have made. Hopefully the appointment of the conciliation commissioner will help move the process forward.?

Air Transat pilots are backed by a $1 million grant from ALPA?s Major Contingency Fund (MCF), which provides pilots with the necessary resources to respond to threats against their jobs and the piloting profession. Founded in 1931, ALPA is the world?s largest pilot union, representing nearly 53,000 pilots at 38 airlines in the United States and Canada, including the pilots of Air Transat.