- Air Canada suspends all mainline and Rouge flights due to cabin crew strike.
- 72-hour industrial action began early Saturday morning.
- Over 500 flights affected daily, impacting around 130,000 passengers.
Air Canada has halted all its flight operations following the commencement of a 72-hour strike by its cabin crew, a development expected to severely disrupt the travel plans of approximately 130,000 passengers daily.
According to the report retrieved by Eko Hot Blog, the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), representing over 10,000 flight attendants, initiated the strike early Saturday morning after months of unresolved contract negotiations.
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The airline, which flies to 180 destinations globally, confirmed that all its mainline and low-cost carrier, Air Canada Rouge, flights have been suspended. Passengers have been advised to avoid going to airports unless flying with unaffected carriers.
The industrial action, which officially began at 12:58 a.m. Eastern Time (04:58 GMT), was preceded by widespread flight cancellations as the airline wound down operations. By late Friday, 623 flights had already been scrapped, affecting over 100,000 passengers.
While Air Canada Jazz, PAL Airlines, and Air Canada Express services remain operational, the strike has grounded around 500 flights per day across other segments of the airline.
The cabin crew union is demanding better wages, including pay for duties performed while the aircraft is on the ground — such as boarding and airport standby time.
Although Air Canada proposed a 38% increase in total compensation over four years, including a 25% hike in the first year, CUPE described the offer as “below inflation and below market standard,” claiming it still excludes pay for several hours of actual work.
Picketing by striking workers has begun at major Canadian airports, further compounding travel disruptions as passengers scramble to rebook flights.
In the midst of the escalating dispute, Canada’s Labour Minister, Patty Hajdu, urged both parties to return to negotiations. She also confirmed that Air Canada requested the matter be sent to binding arbitration a move the union has rejected.
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The union insists that it had negotiated in good faith for over eight months but accused Air Canada of bypassing fair dialogue by seeking government intervention instead.
“When we stood united, Air Canada didn’t negotiate honestly. Instead, they pushed for federal arbitration to sideline our rights,” CUPE said in a statement to its members.
