Air Canada readies shutdown as pilot union talks appear deadlocked [Video]

Air Canada is preparing to suspend most of its flights starting next Sunday as it faces a likely impasse in talks with its pilots over wage demands, the company said.

The nation’s flagship carrier and the union representing more than 5,200 pilots remain far apart on a deal after 15 months of ongoing negotiations.

In a statement, Air Canada said Monday “it is finalizing contingency plans to suspend most of its operations.”

The carrier said flights across its network could be gradually cancelled starting Sunday, before a total shutdown effective at midnight (0400 GMT) on September 18 if a strike notice is filed by the union or if there is a lockout.

The airline’s pilots, who voted in August to strike if talks fail, are pushing to close a pay gap with their American counterparts, but Air Canada says their demands “far exceed average Canadian wage increases.”

The Air Line …