Morningstar Air Express
A Morningstar Cessna C208B Caravan ready for a winter takeoff. Photo: Capt. Nathanael Walton (Morningstar)
At A Glance
Pilots joined ALPA: 2020
Number of pilots/flightcrew members: 135
Pilot bases: Vancouver, B.C.; Calgary, Alb.; Winnipeg, Man.; and Toronto, Ont.
Hubs/key markets: Toronto Pearson International Airport
Headquarters: Edmonton, Alb.
Operations: Morningstar maintains a long-term aircraft, crew, maintenance, and insurance contract with FedEx Express, serving destinations between Halifax, N.S., and Vancouver, B.C. The carrier also continues to offer other aviation-industry services in conjunction with its associates, Aurora Jet Partners and Signature Flight Support.
Fleet: 9 B-757-200s, 9 Cessna C208B Caravans, and 4 ATR 72s
Last year was a productive one for the pilots of Morningstar Air Express, both on the flight deck and behind the scenes, as their Master Executive Council (MEC) leaders worked closely with management on several issues to improve workplace conditions.
They established a working timeline with both short- and long-term goals toward implementing a new bidding system, with the intent of having it up and running in 2024. The MEC also
- negotiated a letter of understanding regarding commuting that included improved “Travel Options for Commuters,”
- secured the first-ever jumpseat agreement for Morningstar,
- developed the pilot group’s strategic plan, and
- implemented their DART program, providing a one-stop shop for answering pilot queries.
With improvements to pilot contracts across Canada, Morningstar needs to remain a competitive work environment that can keep current flightcrew members and attract new ones. However, the pilots’ current collective agreement falls short of those of other pilot groups across the industry.
Pilot leaders continue to engage with management to address attrition and are actively exploring strategies and contractual changes that can be implemented to improve pilot retention rates, all while providing exceptional service to meet their clients’ demands.
