Porter Airlines pilots in Canada have received a USD 2 million grant from the Air Line Pilots Association, Int'l (ALPA), the union announced on 22 October. The money comes from ALPA's Major Contingency Fund (MCF), the union's "war chest", after a unanimous vote by its Executive Board. It is a grant, not a loan, and is meant to give the more than 900 Porter pilots further resources, if needed, as they enter what ALPA calls the final and most critical phase of negotiations for their first collective agreement1.

"This grant is a decisive show of strength and solidarity and demonstrates that Porter pilots have the full backing of the Association to go the distance until our pilots have secured the contract we've earned," said Capt. Brian Smith, chair of the Porter Airlines Master Executive Council (MEC)1.

A first contract after unionising in 2025

Porter pilots joined ALPA in August 2025, after a grassroots campaign by a group of pilots called "Porter Pilots for Change". The Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) certified ALPA as their bargaining agent on 11 August 2025, and on 10 September 2025 the union served Porter with a written notice to bargain, the first official labour negotiations for the pilot group under the Canada Labour Code2. Until then Porter had been Canada's largest non-union carrier. With its pilots on board, ALPA said it represented more than 95 per cent of the country's professional airline pilots3.

A year later the pilots said talks had stalled. On 10 September 2026 they filed a Notice of Dispute with the Minister of Labour, requesting conciliation assistance from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service. "After months of waiting for meaningful movement, it's clear that the company is not prepared to engage in real bargaining," Smith said at the time4.

Porter: the request was premature

Porter responded that it believed the request for conciliation was premature. According to the airline, substantive bargaining began in early 2026 and ALPA had only recently tabled proposals on key issues, including wages and scheduling. Porter said its goal "is to finalize a first collective agreement with ALPA that recognizes the contributions of pilots, and supports mutually-beneficial long-term growth for all team members." The airline added that it has historically worked directly with its pilots to build industry-standard practices and regulatory requirements into its operations, and that it intends to continue that approach with pilots now represented by ALPA5.

What the pilots want

The union frames the dispute around predictability and pay. "Our first contract will be the foundation that will shape how Porter pilots are valued. It is time for change and for much-needed improvements to our scheduling and quality-of-life rules as well as pilot compensation," Smith said this week1. In September he linked the issue to the airline's growth: "Management has remained focused on Porter Airlines' rapid expansion and has relied heavily on the professionalism, dedication, flexibility, and goodwill of our pilots to support that growth"4.

The road to 13 December

After months of what ALPA calls minimal progress, the two sides entered federal conciliation on 23 September 2026. The process is scheduled to run until 22 November. If no agreement is reached by then, a 21-day cooling-off period begins on 23 November and ends on 13 December, the earliest date on which the union could legally strike or the company could impose a lockout1. Conciliation can be extended if both parties agree4, and a mediator may also be appointed during the cooling-off period5. In the meantime, the pilots are preparing their first informational picket, on Wednesday 18 November at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport1.

What the war chest is

ALPA created the MCF in 1985, shortly after a 29-day strike by more than 5,000 United pilots that reportedly cost the union close to USD 10 million. The fund was initially set up to give pilot groups extra resources in the end stages of contract negotiations. The Executive Board later widened its use to litigation, organizing, settlements and, since 2023, contract implementation. ALPA's treasurer reported a balance of USD 149,149,040 on 31 March 2026. According to ALPA, a war chest grant not only adds funds but "also demonstrates to airline managements sitting at the bargaining table that the pilots have the full backing of the Association"6.

ALPA, founded in 1931, represents more than 80,000 pilots at 42 US and Canadian airlines1. The Porter grant matches one made in May, when about 950 Kalitta Air pilots received USD 2 million from the same fund for the final phase of talks on their second collective bargaining agreement. ALPA said that grant carried no interest78.

A fast-growing airline

The talks take place against rapid fleet growth. Porter took its first Embraer E195-E2 in December 2022 and has firm orders for 75 of the type, with purchase rights for 25 more, which could take its E2 fleet to 100 aircraft9. By the end of July 2026, 54 had been delivered, and Porter had secured financing from the Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES) for up to 19 of the remaining jets, with deliveries planned through December 203010. Alongside the jets, Porter flies 29 De Havilland Dash 8-400 turboprops with 78 seats on regional routes in Eastern Canada and the US11.

The pilot group has grown with the fleet. ALPA counted more than 800 Porter pilots in 2025, based in Toronto, Vancouver, Thunder Bay, Ottawa, Montreal and Halifax2. In September 2026 it was nearly 9004, and the union now puts the number at more than 9001.

What this means for aspiring pilots

For anyone planning a flying career in Canada, the dispute shows how the market has changed. Almost every professional airline pilot in the country is now represented by a union, and Porter is not the only ALPA group in conciliation: pilots at PAL Airlines also asked for federal help in September, in talks on their second agreement312. Porter's first contract will help set the terms and working conditions of its pilot group as the airline continues to grow8, and with them the pay, scheduling and quality-of-life rules that pilots joining Porter later will fly under.

Porter also has its own route into the flight deck for people with little or no flying experience: the Destination Porter Cadet Program, run with Cygnet Aviation Academy in Kingston, Ontario, and CAE. Cadets complete a Transport Canada-approved integrated ATPL course at Cygnet, followed by Dash 8-400 type training at CAE's training centre in Mississauga. Selected candidates receive a conditional letter of employment before training starts, and graduates join Porter as Dash 8-400 first officers, subject to conditions. The programme is open to Canadian citizens and permanent residents with a post-secondary degree, and CAE is currently taking sign-ups through a waitlist13. Candidates need the unrestricted right to live and work in Canada14.

Porter's licence and hour requirements and its four-stage selection are set out on our Porter Airlines pilot careers page, and you can practise for the Porter selection. The cadet route runs through Cygnet Aviation Academy in Kingston. To compare other Canadian employers, see Air Canada, WestJet and Jazz Aviation, what pilots earn at Air Canada and WestJet, and all flight schools in Canada.