Lynx Air
A Lynx B-737 MAX 8 making its way across the Canadian Rockies. Photo: Lynx Air Facebook
At A Glance
Pilots joined ALPA: 2023
Number of pilots/flightcrew members: 160
Pilot bases: Calgary, Alb., and Vancouver, B.C.
Hubs/key markets: Vancouver, Kelowna, and Victoria, B.C.; Calgary and Edmonton, Alb.; Winnipeg, Man.; Toronto and Hamilton, Ont.; Halifax, N.S.; Fredericton, N.B.; Montréal, Qué.; St. John’s, Nfld. and Labr.; Orlando, Fort Myers, and Tampa Bay, Fla.; Los Angeles, Calif.; Las Vegas, Nev.; and Phoenix, Ariz.—with more destinations being added
Headquarters: Calgary, Alb.
Operations: Lynx is an ultra-low-cost carrier offering à la carte services where customers pay only for what they want.
Fleet: 9 B-737 MAX 8s
ALPA formally welcomed the pilots of Lynx Air as the Association’s 41st pilot group in June 2023.
By July, the pilots had begun the initial work required to secure their first collective agreement. This included forming a Negotiating Committee, electing a permanent Master Executive Council (MEC), surveying the pilots to establish a baseline for negotiations, and setting bargaining dates with management.
Part of the process included providing educational materials to the pilots on how duty rigs operate, comprehensively comparing the current Lynx duty rigs to those of industry peers, and seeking pilot input on their desired improvements.
The pilots spent considerable time researching, consulting, and preparing initial draft proposals to ensure that they’d be fully prepared at the negotiating table. By September, the pilot group had made significant progress amending proposals that would be presented to management at their first meetings, which took place the last week of November. The pilots’ top priorities include codifying the status quo with their employer and clarifying their current working conditions, compensation, and scheduling in strong, binding language.
“Our first contract is a major step for the betterment of the pilot group, but it takes time, patience, and due diligence,” noted Capt. Marc Rippon, the pilots’ MEC chair.
