Air Canada has reached a tentative four-year agreement with its 5,200 pilots, averting a strike that could have begun as early as Wednesday and disrupted travel for hundreds of thousands of passengers. The pilots, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), were seeking pay increases comparable to their U.S. counterparts. Talks continued through the weekend, resulting in a last-minute deal that still requires ratification by the pilots and approval by the Air Canada board. The airline had warned that a strike could lead to a complete shutdown and had already started to curtail certain services in preparation. The agreement will provide additional value of over C$1.9bn for the pilots over the course of the contract.