The 16 Air Canada employees in Whitehorse would have to apply to work with Air Canada Jazz, which will be taking over the flights into and out of the capital city this fall.

Air Canada Jazz spokeswoman Debra Williams said this morning the current employees working for Air Canada can apply to work for Air Canada's regional airline of Jazz.

Just how many will be hired to work for Jazz in Whitehorse is still being worked out though.

Williams said the airline expects to hire more than 100 employees across the country, but it's still working out details on how many people will be hired locally.

Air Canada employees will also be given a number of other options with the departure of Air Canada in accordance with the collective agreement, airline spokeswoman Angela Mah said today.

'Employees in Whitehorse will have some difficult decisions to make,' she said.

Transfers and severance packages are among the options facing local Air Canada workers, as well as the potential discussions with Air Canada Jazz about employment opportunities.

However, Bill Trbovich, communications director for the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW), which Air Canada's baggage handlers belong to said, this morning, there won't likely be any transfers available to staff facing layoffs because there don't seem to be any openings available.

'It's not a happy time,' Trbovich said.

In Whitehorse, there are two full-time and seven part-time baggage handlers who will be impacted by the move to Jazz.

Trbovich said there are a couple of meetings coming up for the union and Air Canada.

He suggested the positions may be contracted out by Air Canada Jazz.

'We don't represent anyone at Jazz,' he said.

The national airline announced the changes Thursday as part of its latest restructuring plan.

It will see Air Canada Jazz increase its service beginning with its summer schedule in Charlottetown, Moncton, Quebec City, Thunder Bay, Ont., Saskatoon and Regina.

The two cities in Saskatchewan will see changes both in the spring and fall.

'It makes good business sense for Jazz,' Mah said of the change.

In the announcement that was made last week, Ben Smith, Air Canada's vice-president responsible for network planning at both the national airline and its regional company, said the expanded regional jet fleet for Jazz will enable Air Canada to realign so that the right aircraft type is used to meet travel demand in each market.

The expansion will see Jazz offer enhanced schedules, the release notes.

Among some of the changes coming to other cities that have a set schedule is an increase from two to three daily flights from Charlottetown to Montreal, an additional daily flight from Thunder Bay to Toronto and an extra flight to Toronto from Saskatoon in October, among others.

The regional airline has 15 new Bombardier CRJ-705 jets, which brings its total up to 65 Bombardier regional jets.

While the fall schedule has yet to be determined, Mah said there likely won't be any major changes to the schedule. Air Canada sets the schedule for the regional flights.

This summer, the national airline will be flying 120-seat planes into Whitehorse twice a day with flights arriving from Vancouver at 4:40 p.m. and 10:55 p.m. They will depart for Vancouver at 7:30 a.m. and 5:20 p.m.

The fall will see a similar schedule established, though Mah noted the exact details are still being determined.