MONTREAL – The union representing flight attendants at Air Canada says the airline has acted too quickly with its decision to cut costs by $50 million in the current quarter.

Michel Cournoyer, head of the CUPE local representing Air Canada workers, says the move is premature.

He says the airline has already made a lot of changes and he’s convinced it will end up turning a profit, as it did in 2012.

A memo sent by chief executive officer Calin Rovinescu to senior management on Friday says the company must trim its expenses to compete against its rivals.

The plan includes a hiring freeze, ending the use of consultants, and finding more savings through its suppliers.

The memo points to increased competition from Canadian airlines such as Porter and WestJet, along with a growing challenge from U.S. carriers.

In the memo, Rovinescu said “the revenue environment has been and is expected to remain extremely challenging.”

“While we have made good progress on controlling costs, the ground beneath us is shifting almost daily and the goalposts are moving with it,” Rovinescu said in the memo, obtained by The Canadian Press.

“Certainly our competitors are not standing still.”

The company-wide hiring freeze, which was approved by the executive team, is effective immediately. Exceptions will be made for new hires that are considered “mission-critical” and for those joining Air Canada’s new discount carrier, Rouge.

Air Canada lost $260 million in its most recent quarter, down from a loss of $274 million in the same quarter a year earlier.