Certainly Air Canada will have their pick of folks with over 5000 hrs, there is no doubt about that. The question was not really in relation to AC having a problem finding experienced people, but more WJ. Because to a certain extent given WJ's rate of hiring in the past 2-3 yrs (150 pilots/yr), a lot of the pilots with greater than WJ's minimum, had they the inclination to apply there, would have already done so and chances are been hired.
But in those years, WJ had very little in the way of competition for experience pilots (in Canada). Jetsgo can be considered a bit of an aberration given the conditions that went along with that whole deal.
Now in the fall, we will have a situation where WJ and AC are essentially hiring from the same pool of folks, really for the first time. Back in the late 90's when AC was in their last boom, WJ was but a small company with (don't quote me) <10 aircraft.
If AC actually has a requirement for hiring 40 pilots a month next year, and WJ needs 20, which company will be scrambling?
-Westjet has a hard minimum
-Conditions at both companies for the first 3 yrs are more or less the same
-Many people still consider AC to be a better job, even after the CCAA changes (to each their own, let's not debate this)
-AC new hires will be getting in at the start of a wave, while WJ's will be more at the end
-And finally, AC has proven in the past no aversion to hiring folks with less than 4000 hrs
Will they do that again to deliberately put pressure on WJ?