Air Canada Strike Over

UPDATE:

 Air Canada said it will gradually restart its operations today after reaching a mediated agreement with the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) through a process overseen by a mutually agreed-upon mediator, William Kaplan. Mediation discussions were begun on the basis that the union commit to having the airline’s 10,000 flight attendants immediately return to work, allowing the airline to resume the operations of Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge, which have been grounded since August 16.

The first flights are scheduled for the evening of August 19, but customers are advised that the airline’s return to full, regular service may require seven-to-ten days as aircraft and crew are out of position. During this process, some flights will be cancelled over the next seven to ten days until the schedule is stabilized.

EARLIER:

Air Canada today said all flights of Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge remain suspended due to the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) failing to direct its flight attendant members to resume the performance of their duties as directed by the Canadian Industrial Relations Board (CIRB). The CIRB has also directed flight attendants to resume the performance of their duties immediately.

Customers whose flights are cancelled are being notified of the cancellations and offered options that include a full refund, a future travel credit, or rebooking on another airline. Those whose flights are cancelled are strongly advised not to go to the airport, unless they have a confirmed booking on a flight by another carrier.  

In response to a labour disruption by CUPE that led to a strike on August 16, Air Canada has been cancelling flights on a rolling basis. At present, all flights by Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge are cancelled until the afternoon (EDT) of August 19, 2025. Air Canada Express flights operated by Jazz or PAL continue to operate as normal.

Air Canada’s intended restart of Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge operations, which have been grounded since August 16 as a result of CUPE’s labour disruption, was prevented yesterday by CUPE leadership’s unlawful strike activities. The airline now estimates 500,000 customers will be disrupted as a result.