Ex-employees’ class action suit against Air Canada to go ahead

MONTREAL — Former Aveos employees have been authorized to proceed with a class action lawsuit against Air Canada.

The airline could have to pay more than $100 million if found guilty, lawyers for the plaintiffs said in a statement Tuesday after a Quebec Superior Court justice gave the green light to the legal action.

Aveos used to be a subsidiary of Air Canada whose 1,800 employees conducted maintenance work on the airline’s fleet in three centres located in Montreal, Winnipeg and Vancouver.

Air Canada sold most of its shares in Aveos in 2007 and then proceeded to gradually reduce its contracts with the maintenance company, forcing it to close permanently in 2012 due to lack of orders.