Air Canada has asked the Canada Industrial Relations Board to step in after an unusually high number of pilots called in sick over the weekend, causing some flights to be cancelled or delayed.
"Air Canada experienced numerous delays and cancellations over the weekend. While weather, a disruption caused by a fire at our major hub in Toronto, and other factors affected our operation, some impact was the result of higher-than-usual pilot bookoffs," airline spokesman Peter Fitzpatrick said Sunday.
"While Air Canada supports the right of its employees to book off when they are unwell or otherwise unfit to work, we cannot condone such activities as part of industrial action to disrupt our operations and we have asked the CIRB to intervene."
The union representing the pilots did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Air Canada is in the middle of a bitter labour dispute with its pilots that prompted the federal government to step in this month.
In the face of a threatened lockout of pilots and a strike by ground crew, the federal government referred the matter to the Canada Industrial Relations Board and also passed back-to-work legislation last week that referred the disputes to arbitration.
Numerous Air Canada flights were cancelled or delayed in Montreal on Saturday, prompting the airline to say it was facing a number of "operational challenges."
The situation worsened on Sunday when Toronto's Pearson International Airport was forced to close one of its runways after a fire in a maintenance area on the airfield damaged electrical systems required to operate runway lights.
In the morning's low visibility, the runway couldn't be used without sufficient lighting.
The closure of one of the airport's five runways, combined with the heavy fog, caused widespread flight delays and cancellations as the airport's normal capacity for arrivals and departures was significantly reduced.
The runway was back in service just before 11 a.m. after the fog lifted and congestion at Canada's busiest airport appeared to ease Sunday afternoon.
The disruptions in Toronto came as thousands of March break travellers were heading home.
The Canadian Press
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