How a dismissed Swedish captain became the first labour-relations test for the executive who takes over Canada's largest airline in January.
The incoming Air Canada CEO, Anko van der Werff, is facing a labour-relations confrontation in Canada months before he formally starts the job. The union representing pilots at Canada’s major and regional carriers has written to him directly over the dismissal of a pilot union leader at Scandinavian Airlines (SAS), the carrier he still runs, describing the action as retaliatory and anti-labour.
The letter, sent by ALPA Canada president Tim Perry and copied to Air Canada board chair Vagn Sørensen, was obtained by Radio-Canada and reported on September 28, 2026. Van der Werff is scheduled to leave SAS and take over as president and chief executive of Air Canada by the end of January.
The Letter Tim Perry Sent to Anko van der Werff
Perry called the dismissal of SAS Captain Mattias Åman Thiel “unwarranted” and echoed demands from Swedish and international pilot bodies that he be immediately reinstated. ALPA Canada represents pilots at major and regional Canadian airlines, including those who will report into van der Werff’s organisation from January.
The letter framed the response as a signal, not a formality. “How you choose to respond will, without a doubt, be a clear indication on how you intend to engage with ALPA Canada pilots as you assume the leadership role at Canada’s largest airline,” Perry wrote.
In an interview with Radio-Canada, Perry said, “A healthy relationship requires trust,” adding that he intends to mobilise ALPA Canada members in support of the dismissed captain’s demands. That is an unusual step for a Canadian union on a foreign employment matter, and it makes the case a live issue on this side of the Atlantic rather than a Scandinavian one.
Who Mattias Åman Thiel Is and Why He Was Fired
Thiel is a Scandinavian Airlines captain and chair of the SAS section of the Swedish Pilots’ Association. He was dismissed last month. SAS confirmed the dismissal to Radio-Canada but did not state the reason publicly.
According to Tristan Okkonen, chair of the Swedish Airline Pilots Association (SWEALPA), who worked closely with Thiel on union business, the employer’s position is that Thiel travelled abroad when he should have been working for the union. Those allegations were also reported by foreign media at the end of August.
“We are still in shock,” Okkonen told Radio-Canada. Both the Swedish Pilots’ Association and the International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations — which represents more than 160,000 pilots worldwide — have called for Thiel’s reinstatement.
The Case Now Before the Swedish Labour Court
Thiel’s union is contesting the dismissal in court. In court documents obtained by Radio-Canada, the union argues that he was working remotely at the time in question. It is asking the Swedish Labour Court to reinstate him and to order SAS to pay damages.
Okkonen placed the firing in a wider bargaining context: it came a few months after difficult salary negotiations between SAS pilots and the airline. Last spring, he said, many pilots refused to work overtime as an act of protest, though he stressed that the action was not ordered by the pilots’ union.
No decision or hearing date for the Swedish Labour Court case was specified in the material reported to date.
How SAS and Air Canada Have Responded
SAS is defending the decision without discussing the specifics. Spokesperson Alexandra Lindgren Kaoukji said the airline does not comment on “individual employment matters,” while emphasising that SAS “strongly values the Scandinavian labour model and the important and constructive co-operation we have with our colleagues and their representatives.”
“We cannot and will not make exceptions or treat colleagues differently based on their position, seniority or personal relationships,” Kaoukji said in an email — a statement that implicitly rejects the characterisation of the firing as retaliation against a union office-holder.
Air Canada, for its part, is staying out of it. A spokesperson told Radio-Canada the airline does not comment on “a situation involving another carrier.” Van der Werff did not respond to an interview request.
Timeline of the Dispute
| When | What happened |
|---|---|
| Spring 2026 | Difficult SAS pilot salary negotiations; many pilots refuse overtime in protest, an action not ordered by the union |
| June 30, 2026 | Van der Werff photographed in Copenhagen as SAS chief executive, ahead of his Air Canada move |
| Late August 2026 | Foreign media report the allegations against Captain Mattias Åman Thiel |
| August 2026 | Thiel, chair of the SAS section of the Swedish Pilots’ Association, is dismissed; SAS confirms the firing but not the reason |
| September 28, 2026 | ALPA Canada’s letter to van der Werff, copied to Air Canada’s board chair, is reported |
| By end of January 2027 | Van der Werff scheduled to take over as Air Canada president and CEO |
What the Air Canada CEO Handover Means for Canadian Pilots
Van der Werff was named Air Canada’s next chief executive following the announced retirement of Michael Rousseau, whose departure came after a controversy over a language-related statement. The handover therefore already carried reputational sensitivity in Canada before this dispute surfaced.
For pilots, the significance is practical. A chief executive’s posture in bargaining shapes scheduling, overtime practice, pay structures and how grievances are handled — and unions typically form a working read on new leadership long before the first negotiation. By writing now, ALPA Canada is attempting to set expectations while van der Werff is still an incoming figure rather than a sitting one.
The letter’s copy to board chair Vagn Sørensen is also deliberate. It puts the question of executive conduct in front of the directors who hired him, rather than leaving it as a private exchange between a union and a chief executive.
Why Airline Labour Disputes Carry National Weight in Canada
General industry context: Air transport is one of the sectors where a single employer’s labour relationship can affect travel, freight and regional connectivity across the country. That is why airline bargaining rounds in Canada tend to escalate quickly into political and regulatory questions, including debates over federal intervention in work stoppages.
Those debates are already active. Labour Code changes touching the right to strike have been part of the federal agenda, a theme running through the Carney government’s fall parliamentary sitting agenda. Any dispute at Canada’s largest carrier lands in that wider policy conversation.
Transport competitiveness is a recurring theme for Canadian business readers as well; the sector features in broader assessments such as the recent competitiveness report flagging five sectors at risk, and in the investment debate captured at the Canada Investment Summit.
The Open Questions Heading Into January
- Whether van der Werff responds: He has not commented publicly, and ALPA Canada has explicitly framed his response — or absence of one — as the message.
- The court outcome: The Swedish Labour Court has been asked to reinstate Thiel and award damages. No ruling date has been specified.
- Whether Air Canada’s board weighs in: The letter was copied to chair Vagn Sørensen, but the airline has so far declined to comment on another carrier’s affairs.
- How ALPA Canada mobilises: Perry said he plans to rally members in support of the captain; the form that support will take has not been detailed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is taking over as Air Canada CEO, and when?
Anko van der Werff, currently president and chief executive of Scandinavian Airlines, is set to become Air Canada’s president and CEO by the end of January.
What exactly is ALPA Canada objecting to?
The dismissal of SAS Captain Mattias Åman Thiel, chair of the SAS section of the Swedish Pilots’ Association. ALPA Canada president Tim Perry called the firing “unwarranted” and joined calls for his immediate reinstatement.
Has SAS explained why the pilot was dismissed?
Not publicly. SAS confirmed the dismissal but said it does not comment on individual employment matters. According to SWEALPA, the employer’s stated reason was that Thiel travelled abroad when he should have been working for the union; his union says he was working remotely.
Does this dispute affect Air Canada operations now?
No operational impact has been reported. The matter is a Swedish employment case; the Canadian dimension is the union’s concern about the incoming chief executive’s approach to labour relations.
Why is Air Canada changing chief executives?
Van der Werff was named to succeed Michael Rousseau, who announced his retirement following a language-related statement controversy.
