Air Transat considering 80-person layoff amid financial turbulence

In a notice to the province's employment department, Transat says the layoffs could be effective by Nov. 1

Transat A.T. Inc. is preparing to lay off up to 80 workers as the tour operator struggles to turn its finances around, according to a preliminary notice sent to the Quebec government.

Over the course of the year, the company has felt the headwinds of stiff competition, engine recalls and the threat of a union strike, which together conspired to drain more money from the struggling outfit.