Groups representing more than 200,000 businesses across Canada on Thursday urged the government to intervene to block a looming pilot's strike at flagship carrier Air Canada that they say risks devastating the economy.

The airline announced yesterday that it is finalising contingency plans to suspend most of its operations to mitigate customer impact

A potentially crippling strike has been averted. Management at Air Canada, the country’s largest airline, has averted a strike by reaching a tentative agreement with its pilots. The carrier has more than 5,000 pilots.