MONTREAL, Dec 9 (Reuters) – Canadian leisure carrier Air Transat and its pilots' union said on Tuesday they had reached a tentative deal that promised higher pay and better working conditions, averting a potential strike and allowing operations to return to normal. More than 750 pilots at the Montreal-based airline are set to vote on ratifying the agreement in the coming days, the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) said in a statement. Air Transat said its operations were returning to normal after it had started to suspend flights this week following a 72-hour strike notice from ALPA. The union said the new contract "delivers on the goals of better job security, enhanced compensation, and more flexible schedules to allow for a better work-life balance." The deal averted a second major strike at a Canadian carrier this year. Flight attendants at Air Canada walked off the job in August, halting operations at the country's largest airline for four days. Air Transat had previously said it proposed compromises, including a 59% salary increase over five years and improvements to working conditions. The union and the airline did not provide details of the tentative deal. The carrier focuses primarily on holiday travel to international destinations in Europe, the Caribbean, the U.S. East Coast, South America and Africa, according to its website. (Reporting by Allison Lampert in Montreal and Ananya Palyekar in Bengaluru; Editing by Himani Sarkar and Jamie Freed)
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