Air Canada pilots say they have voted overwhelmingly to approve a strike mandate, putting them in a position to walk off the job as early as Sept. 17.

The Air Line Pilots Association, which represents more than 5,400 aviators at the country’s largest carrier, says the vote passed by 98 per cent on Thursday.

The employees have been negotiating with Air Canada since June 2023, with ongoing talks overseen by a federal conciliator.