Air Canada Grounded: Flight Attendants Strike Disrupts Hundreds of Flights

As Air Canada cabin staff initiate a strike demanding better pay, the airline halts all flights, impacting approximately 130,000 passengers and igniting a battle over labor rights and operational integrity.

Air Canada has grounded its entire fleet as cabin crew members embark on a strike, significantly impacting travel for about 130,000 passengers daily. The union representing more than 10,000 Air Canada flight attendants declared a 72-hour industrial action early Saturday morning, leading to the suspension of all air services, including those of Air Canada Rouge. The airline has urged affected customers to avoid airport trips unless they are flying with alternate carriers.

The strike commenced at 00:58 ET (04:58 GMT) on Saturday, with Air Canada preemptively scaling back operations prior to the official strike time. The airline anticipates an impact of roughly 500 flights per day due to the strike. Flight attendants have planned picketing at major Canadian airports where travelers had already begun seeking new flight bookings earlier in the week.

Air Canada, which services 180 destinations globally, stated it had "suspended all operations" and advised customers to stay away from airports. While the airline expressed regret over the disruptions caused, it noted that flights operated by Air Canada Jazz, PAL Airlines, and Air Canada Express would remain unaffected.

In the lead-up to the strike, Air Canada had cancelled 623 flights by Friday night, impacting over 100,000 passengers as part of a strategic wind-down of services. In negotiations, the airline proposed a total compensation increase of 38% over four years, including a 25% raise in the first year. However, the union criticized this offer as being below inflation, market rates, and even minimum wage standards, highlighting that it left flight attendants unpaid for certain hours worked pre-flight, including boarding and airport wait times.

Over 99.7% of unionized flight attendants had voted in favor of the strike earlier this month. Canada's jobs minister, Patty Hajdu, had urged both parties to return to negotiations, adding that Air Canada had sought to refer the dispute to binding arbitration. However, CUPE, the union, accused the airline of not negotiating in good faith and instead seeking governmental intervention to undermine employees' bargaining rights. “When we stood strong together, Air Canada didn't come to the table in good faith,” the union expressed in a statement, emphasizing the strain on labor relations amid ongoing disputes.