Air Canada Reaches Tentative Deal With 11,000 Maintenance, Airport Workers

‍MONTREAL — Air Canada (AC) has reached a tentative four-year collective agreement with the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW), covering approximately 11,000 employees across several major operational groups.

The agreement covers workers in technical operations, airports, cargo, logistics, and supply departments, according to Reuters. If ratified by union members, the contract would run from April 1, 2026, through March 31, 2030.

Air Canada said the tentative deal is its sixth collective agreement negotiated in 2026.

A Key Operational Labor Group

The IAMAW agreement is significant because it covers employees central to Air Canada’s day-to-day operation, including maintenance and airport functions.

For an airline the size of Air Canada, labor stability across those groups matters directly to aircraft availability, turn times, baggage flow, cargo handling, and overall operational reliability. The tentative agreement therefore reduces one potential source of disruption as the carrier moves through the summer peak.

The agreement remains subject to ratification by union members.

Labor Stability After a Disruptive Period

The tentative IAMAW deal follows a period of heightened labor attention across the North American airline industry, as unions push for higher wages and improved working conditions after several years of strong travel demand and inflation pressure.

For Air Canada, securing agreements across multiple labor groups is also important as the airline continues rebuilding financial and operational resilience after earlier industry disruption.

The carrier’s 2026 labor progress gives management more visibility over costs and staffing while reducing the risk of work stoppages or bargaining-related uncertainty across key parts of the business.

Operational Fundamentals

The agreement does not immediately change Air Canada’s route network or fleet plan. But it affects the operational foundation behind both.

Maintenance, airport, cargo, logistics, and supply employees sit behind many of the functions passengers only notice when they fail: on-time departures, aircraft readiness, baggage delivery, and recovery from irregular operations.

If ratified, the IAMAW agreement would give Air Canada labor stability with one of its largest operational employee groups through early 2030, strengthening its ability to plan through the next phase of network growth and fleet renewal.