From his office overlooking the runway at Gander International Airport, Reg Wright can see all flights in and out of his corner of Newfoundland. But in recent years, those plane spottings have been fewer and farther between.

Air Canada could have to pay more than $100 million in compensation to workers who lost their jobs at maintenance centres more than a decade ago, say lawyers in a class-action suit.

The two-day work stoppage that began on June 28 forced the airline to cancel more than 1,000 flights before the end of the Canada Day long weekend, one of the busiest travel windows of the year.