Skip to main content

Featured

Air Transat Faces Flight Suspensions Amid Pilot Strike Notice

  Air Transat has announced it will gradually suspend flights starting Monday following a 72-hour strike notice issued by its pilots’ union. The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), representing roughly 700 pilots, delivered the notice after nearly a year of unsuccessful negotiations with the airline’s parent company, Transat A.T. Inc. Background The union filed the strike notice on Sunday, giving pilots the legal right to walk off the job as early as Wednesday. Last week, pilots voted 99% in favor of strike action , underscoring their frustration over stalled contract talks. ALPA leaders emphasized that pilots do not want to strike but feel compelled to act after management failed to meet demands for a modernized agreement. Airline Response Air Transat confirmed it will begin suspending flights gradually between December 8 and 9 to prepare for a possible full shutdown. The company stated it is working “around the clock” to reach a deal and minimize disruption for trave...

article

Trump Suggests NATO Could Expel Spain Over Defense Spending Dispute

Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez said previously that he would not commit to the 5% target, calling it ‘incompatible with our welfare state and our world vision’.

U.S. President Donald Trump has reignited tensions within the NATO alliance by suggesting that Spain could be removed from the 32-member defense pact over its refusal to meet a new military spending target.

Speaking at the White House alongside Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Trump criticized Spain for rejecting NATO’s recently adopted goal of allocating 5% of national GDP to defense. While most allies agreed to the sharp increase, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez argued the demand was “incompatible with our welfare state and our world vision.”

“Spain has no excuse not to do this,” Trump said. “Maybe you should throw them out of NATO, frankly”.

Spain, which joined NATO in 1982, reaffirmed its commitment to the alliance and insisted it continues to meet capability targets. Officials in Madrid pushed back on Trump’s remarks, stressing that the country remains a “full member of NATO in its own right.”

The comments highlight ongoing friction between Washington and European allies over defense contributions, a debate that has intensified since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. While NATO has no formal mechanism to expel members, Trump’s remarks underscore his determination to pressure allies into higher spending.

Comments