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News18
3 days ago
- Business
- News18
Air Canada Suspends All Operations After Over 10,000 Flight Attendants Go On Strike
Last Updated: Air Canada halted all operations as 10,000 flight attendants went on strike, impacting 130,000 passengers in a day. Refunds and rebooking options are available for flyers. Thousands of flyers around the world were left stranded after Air Canada suspended all operations early Saturday. The flight operations were suspended after more than 10,000 flight attendants walked off the job during the busy summer travel season. The strike began at 12:58 am EDT. The Canadian flag carrier clarified that flights by Air Canada Express, which are operated by third-party airlines, are not affected. 'Air Canada today said that it has suspended all operations of Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge due to a strike by its 10,000 flight attendants represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE). The strike took effect at 12:58 am Eastern Time on August 16, 2025. Flights by Air Canada Express, which are operated by third-party airlines, are not affected," the airline said in a notification released on its website. According to news agency Associated Press, the flight attendants went on a strike after a deadline to reach a new contract passed without reaching an agreement. AP reported, the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) confirmed the walkout, and Air Canada responded by locking out flight attendants and grounding all flights. The shutdown will affect approximately 130,000 passengers in a day, including around 25,000 Canadians abroad. The labour dispute has been intensifying for weeks. On Friday, CUPE rejected Air Canada's request for government-directed arbitration, which would taken away its right to strike and allowed a third party to set contract terms. Talks have stalled over pay and unpaid work time, with the union saying the airline hasn't countered their recent proposals since Tuesday. Federal Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu met with both sides Friday evening, urging them to reach a deal. 'It is unacceptable that such little progress has been made. Canadians are counting on both parties to put forward their best efforts," Hajdu said in a statement posted on social media. The strike has upended travel plans for many, including a 21 year-old Montreal resident, Alex Laroche, who spent $8,000 on a nonrefundable European vacation. Now, his Saturday night flight to Nice, France, hangs in the balance. 'At this point, it's just a waiting game," Laroche said, adding that while initially upset, he now supports the strike after learning about the low wages flight attendants earn. Air Canada said it offered a 38% compensation increase over four years, but the union deemed the first-year 8% raise insufficient given inflation. The airline said will offer refunds and try to rebook passengers through other carriers. 'Air Canada is strongly advising affected customers not to go to the airport unless they have a confirmed ticket on an airline other than Air Canada or Air Canada Rouge. Air Canada will notify customers with imminent travel of additional cancelled flights and their options. For those customers due to travel soon whose flights are not yet cancelled, Air Canada has put in place a goodwill policy to allow them to rebook their travel or obtain a credit for future travel. For more information customers should visit the airline statement further read. view comments Location : Canada First Published: August 16, 2025, 13:13 IST News world Air Canada Suspends All Operations After Over 10,000 Flight Attendants Go On Strike Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Economic Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Economic Times
Air Canada strike could ground most flights this weekend. What travelers need to know
Air Canada faces a strike by 10,000 flight attendants. This action threatens summer travel plans across Canada. The strike could begin Saturday. Many Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge flights may be cancelled. This situation could affect about 130,000 passengers daily. Contract talks stalled over pay increases. Passengers can get full refunds. They can also rebook flights for later dates. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Full refunds are available via Air Canada's website or app. Travelers can rebook for dates between Aug. 21 and Sept. 12 at no extra cost. Customers may be rerouted on other airlines, but immediate rebooking isn't guaranteed. Cancellations due to a strike are considered beyond the airline's control, so food and lodging compensation won't apply. Summer travel plans across Canada are in jeopardy as Air Canada faces a looming strike by 10,000 flight attendants, set to begin at 1 a.m. EDT on Saturday if no contract agreement is reached. The airline has warned it may cancel nearly all Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge flights, affecting up to 130,000 passengers per day. Regional Air Canada Express flights, operated by Jazz Aviation and PAL Airlines, would not be midday Friday, Air Canada had already canceled 87 domestic and 176 international flights in a 'phased wind down' of operations. The airline expects to call off about 500 flights by Friday night and is working to rebook customers on other carriers, though availability is limited during peak summer travel. United Airlines and other Star Alliance partners are offering fee-free rebooking on certain talks between Air Canada and the Canadian Union of Public Employees have stalled after eight months of negotiations. Key disputes include pay increases and compensation for unpaid ground duties such as boarding and deplaning. Air Canada says its latest offer included a 38% boost in total compensation over four years, but the union argues the proposed 8% raise in year one falls short given strike's length remains uncertain. Air Canada's COO said restarting operations would take at least a week even under ideal conditions. A complete shutdown could leave tens of thousands of Canadians abroad temporarily are urged to monitor flight status closely and explore alternate carriers such as WestJet, which is adding limited extra capacity to ease the disruption.
The Hill
4 days ago
- Business
- The Hill
What to know if your Air Canada flight gets canceled
Summer travelers are facing uncertainty as the clock winds down on a possible strike by Air Canada flight attendants, which the airline said would force it to cancel almost all of its scheduled flights as soon as Saturday. The Canadian carrier on Thursday began what it described as a 'phased wind down' of most operations that included multiple flight cancellations. Air Canada said it was suspending its schedule and trying to get passengers booked with other airlines to limit disruptions if members of its cabin crews walk off the job. Both the union that represents about 10,000 Air Canada flight attendants and the airline say disagreements over key issues, including pay raises, have brought contract talks to a standstill. A complete shutdown of the country's largest airline threatens to impact about 130,000 people a day. Here's what to know about the rights of passengers and airline consumer protections: Impacted passengers will be notified Air Canada said it would reach out via email or text to let customers know if their flights are canceled. The cancellations on Thursday included some long-haul overseas flights. By the end of Friday, the airline expects to cancel 500 flights. Flight attendants are threatening to strike at 1 a.m. EDT Saturday if they don't have a new contract by then. If the walkout happens, the airline said it would suspend all of its Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge flights, but not the regional Air Canada Express flights operated by Jazz Aviation and PAL Airlines. How long the airline's planes will be grounded remains to be seen. Air Canada Chief Operating Officer Mark Nasr said the decision to lock out the union members even if it meant halting flights would help facilitate an orderly restart, 'which under the best circumstances will take a full week to complete.' A complete grounding would affect 25,000 Canadians a day who traveled abroad and may become stranded. You have options if your flight is canceled Passengers whose travel is impacted will be eligible to request a full refund on the airline's website or mobile app, according to Air Canada. The airline said it would also offer alternative travel options through other Canadian and foreign airlines when possible. But it warned that it could not guarantee immediate rebooking because flights on other airlines are already full 'due to the summer travel peak.' Passengers with the flexibility to reschedule their travel plans can also rebook their flights for dates between Aug. 21 and Sept. 12 at no additional cost, Air Canada said. The airline says that under federal regulations, flight cancellations caused by a strike or lockout are considered outside the carrier's control, meaning customers are not eligible for compensation for food and lodging expenses incurred during the labor dispute. Most of the union voted to strike Air Canada and the Canadian Union of Public Employees have been in contract talks for about eight months, but they have yet to reach a tentative deal. By the end of July, the union put it to a vote, and 99.7% approved a strike. The union on Wednesday gave Air Canada a 72-hour strike notice. The airline responded with a so-called lockout notice, saying it would prevent the flight attendants from working on Saturday. The union said it rejected a proposal from the airline to enter a binding arbitration process that would have prevented flight attendants from walking off the job, saying it prefers to negotiate a deal that its members can then vote on. Arielle Meloul-Wechsler, Air Canada's head of human resources, said the company was weighing all of its options, including asking for government intervention. Negotiations break down over pay Both the union and the airline say they remain far apart on the issue of pay and the unpaid work flight attendants do when planes aren't in the air. The airline said its latest offer included a 38% increase in total compensation, including benefits and pensions over four years. But the union pushed back, saying the proposed 8% raise in the first year didn't go far enough because of inflation. Vancouver-based flight attendant Henly Larden, who has worked for Air Canada since 2017, said the union also won't back down on its goal to get flight attendants paid for the time they're on the ground. Larden, 33, called it a 'very archaic expectation' to work for free during the boarding process. 'Just because it's a past practice doesn't mean here in 2025 that it's OK or it's right, and we want to change that going forward,' she said.
Winnipeg Free Press
4 days ago
- Business
- Winnipeg Free Press
What to know if your Air Canada flight gets canceled
Summer travelers are facing uncertainty as the clock winds down on a possible strike by Air Canada flight attendants, which the airline said would force it to cancel almost all of its scheduled flights as soon as Saturday. The Canadian carrier on Thursday began what it described as a 'phased wind down' of most operations that included multiple flight cancellations. Air Canada said it was suspending its schedule and trying to get passengers booked with other airlines to limit disruptions if members of its cabin crews walk off the job. Both the union that represents about 10,000 Air Canada flight attendants and the airline say disagreements over key issues, including pay raises, have brought contract talks to a standstill. A complete shutdown of the country's largest airline threatens to impact about 130,000 people a day. Here's what to know about the rights of passengers and airline consumer protections: Impacted passengers will be notified Air Canada said it would reach out via email or text to let customers know if their flights are canceled. The cancellations on Thursday included some long-haul overseas flights. By the end of Friday, the airline expects to cancel 500 flights. Flight attendants are threatening to strike at 1 a.m. ET Saturday if they don't have a new contract by then. If the walkout happens, the airline said it would suspend all of its Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge flights, but not the regional Air Canada Express flights operated by Jazz Aviation and PAL Airlines. How long the airline's planes will be grounded remains to be seen. Air Canada Chief Operating Officer Mark Nasr said the decision to lock out the union members even if it meant halting flights would help facilitate an orderly restart, 'which under the best circumstances will take a full week to complete.' A complete grounding would affect 25,000 Canadians a day who traveled abroad and may become stranded. You have options if your flight is canceled Passengers whose travel is impacted will be eligible to request a full refund on the airline's website or mobile app, according to Air Canada. The airline said it would also offer alternative travel options through other Canadian and foreign airlines when possible. But it warned that it could not guarantee immediate rebooking because flights on other airlines are already full 'due to the summer travel peak.' Passengers with the flexibility to reschedule their travel plans can also rebook their flights for dates between Aug. 21 and Sept. 12 at no additional cost, Air Canada said. The airline says that under federal regulations, flight cancellations caused by a strike or lockout are considered outside the carrier's control, meaning customers are not eligible for compensation for food and lodging expenses incurred during the labor dispute. Most of the union voted to strike Air Canada and the Canadian Union of Public Employees have been in contract talks for about eight months, but they have yet to reach a tentative deal. By the end of July, the union put it to a vote, and 99.7% approved a strike. The union on Wednesday gave Air Canada a 72-hour strike notice. The airline responded with a so-called lockout notice, saying it would prevent the flight attendants from working on Saturday. The union said it rejected a proposal from the airline to enter a binding arbitration process that would have prevented flight attendants from walking off the job, saying it prefers to negotiate a deal that its members can then vote on. Arielle Meloul-Wechsler, Air Canada's head of human resources, said the company was weighing all of its options, including asking for government intervention. Negotiations break down over pay Both the union and the airline say they remain far apart on the issue of pay and the unpaid work flight attendants do when planes aren't in the air. The airline said its latest offer included a 38% increase in total compensation, including benefits and pensions over four years. But the union pushed back, saying the proposed 8% raise in the first year didn't go far enough because of inflation. Vancouver-based flight attendant Henly Larden, who has worked for Air Canada since 2017, said the union also won't back down on its goal to get flight attendants paid for the time they're on the ground. Larden, 33, called it a 'very archaic expectation' to work for free during the boarding process. 'Just because it's a past practice doesn't mean here in 2025 that it's OK or it's right, and we want to change that going forward,' she said.
