WestJet pilots have overwhelmingly voted to give their union a strike mandate.
The Air Line Pilots Association says members voted 91 per cent in favour of strike action.
About 95 per cent of WestJet's 1,500 pilots and WestJet Encore's 500 pilots voted.
The result was announced with eight days remaining in the 21-day cooling-off period after which the union can launch a strike or the airline can lock out employees.
Although the pilots will be in a legal position to commence job action on May 19, the union says it has committed to not strike over the Victoria Day long weekend as bargaining continues.
The union says negotiations will continue starting next week in Halifax and it is committed to staying there for as long as it takes to get a first collective agreement done.