Transat A.T. Inc.

said its flights operated as planned on Monday and, for now, those scheduled for Dec. 9 will operate as well, as the company continues to negotiate with its pilots union.

Air Line Pilots Association

, which represents Air Transat’s 700 pilots, served the company a 72-hour

strike notice

on Dec. 7, officially setting the stage for a potential strike as early as Wednesday.

In response, the airline added four new flights and launched a special program to bring back as many travellers as possible ahead of the deadline. Some passengers originally scheduled to return on Dec. 10 were offered flights on Monday or Tuesday instead.

“Air Transat wishes to inform its customers and the public that negotiations with the union representing our pilots continued throughout the night and we have made progress,” it said in a statement on Monday.

The company said it hopes to reach an agreement to minimize disruptions to operations, saying it is now up to the union to move after a “generous offer” it put forward.

Transat said the special measures could change quickly if a tentative agreement is reached with the union.

“If no agreement is reached, which we are confident to prevent, we will have to cancel flights that would not return to Canada before the start of a potential conflict, at the end of the day on the 9th,” it said.

The company added that it would need to ensure that all of its aircraft are in Canada, in the right locations, to allow for a quick restart.

“We are communicating directly with affected passengers to provide all necessary information and facilitate their return,” it said.

• Email: dpaglinawan@postmedia.com