Air Canada weekend strike could halt all flights for a week — here's how travellers can rebook or claim full refunds

Time of India

6 days ago

Air Canada is on the brink of a complete operational shutdown as over 10,000 flight attendants, represented by the Air Canada component of CUPE, prepare to strike at 1 a.m. ET on Saturday. The airline has begun cancelling flights and issued a lockout notice after the union served a 72-hour strike notice on Wednesday. Negotiations remain unresolved, and both sides are facing calls for government intervention.
Flight cancellations begin ahead of strike deadline
Air Canada has already cancelled around 500 flights originally scheduled for Friday, impacting more than 100,000 passengers. The initial wave of cancellations has affected several dozen long-haul overseas flights that were due to depart Thursday night.
Chief Operations Officer Mark Nasr said the airline is implementing a phased shutdown of Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge services to allow for an orderly restart, which could take up to a week. By Saturday morning, he confirmed, all flights will be grounded. A full shutdown would affect around 1,30,000 travellers daily, including an estimated 25,000 Canadians abroad.
Aug. 14, 2025 operational wind down impact due to the impending CUPE strike:Flights cancelled: 34People impacted: 7,946Plus 19 add'l cancellations & 3,145 people due to unplanned crew book-offs
Main dispute: Pay and unpaid work
The union has pointed to two main issues: low wages referred to as 'poverty wages' and unpaid labour during periods when planes are not in the air. At a news conference, flight attendants carried signs stating 'unpaid work won't fly' and 'Poverty wages = Uncanadian.'
Air Canada's head of human resources, Arielle Meloul-Wechsler, said the airline has offered a 38% increase in total compensation, including benefits and pensions, over a four-year term. The union, however, has rejected entering into binding arbitration, saying it prefers to negotiate a deal members can vote on.
We are seeing close to 300 Flight Attendants, twice as much as usual, not reporting for work tonight. This will result in additional cancellations. We regret the inconvenience to customers.
Government and stakeholder responses
Federal Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu has urged both sides to reach an independent agreement and has encouraged the union to respond to the airline's request for arbitration.
Union representative Natasha Stea, who speaks for Montreal-based flight attendants, has expressed concern that the airline is counting on the government to intervene. Meanwhile, Air Canada pilots who narrowly avoided a strike themselves in September 2024 are backing the flight attendants' demands for a fair contract.
Passenger options and refunds
Air Canada has advised customers not to go to the airport unless they have a confirmed booking and their flight is still listed as operating. Travellers on cancelled flights are being offered full refunds or the option to change travel plans without a fee. The airline is also working with other Canadian and foreign carriers to arrange alternate travel for stranded passengers.
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