MONTREALAir Canada pilots have ratified changes to their contract that the airline says will help it grow its cargo business.

The Montreal-based airline has seen its business plunge this year as travellers stopped flying due to the pandemic, however the airline has been looking to grow in other ways including cargo flights.

Air Canada says it operates up to 100 international, all-cargo flights a week.

It says the contract changes will help it competitively operate dedicated cargo aircraft and that it is working to covert several of its Boeing 767-300ER aircraft recently retired from passenger service to all-freighter aircraft.

Air Canada also announced the appointment of Jason Berry as vice-president, cargo, effective Jan. 1.

Berry joins Air Canada from Alaska Airlines' wholly owned subsidiary McGee Air Services, where he was president. He led Alaska Airlines' cargo business from 2012 until June 2019.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 27, 2020.

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