Air Canada Flight Attendants Strike, Airline Shuts Down Operations

Air Canada passengers faced major disruptions on Saturday after the airline announced a complete suspension of operations in response to a nationwide strike by its flight attendants.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), representing 10,000 flight attendants, confirmed the industrial action had officially commenced. “We are now officially on strike,” the union declared in a statement.

Air Canada, which services 180 cities globally and carries about 130,000 passengers daily, said it had no choice but to halt flights entirely. “Air Canada is strongly advising affected customers not to go to the airport,” the airline said, stressing that it “deeply regrets the effect the strike is having on customers.”

The strike was legally possible as of 12:01 am Saturday, following a 72-hour notice delivered on Wednesday. Both sides confirmed the walkout began at 12:58 am. The airline had already been scaling back operations in anticipation, cancelling 623 flights by Friday evening—impacting over 100,000 passengers. By Saturday, its full daily schedule of 700 flights had been scrapped.

Beyond wage increases, CUPE is demanding pay for duties performed on the ground, such as assisting passengers during boarding. Industrial relations expert Rafael Gomez noted that attendants worldwide are typically compensated only for time in the air, but CUPE has effectively drawn public attention to the issue. “An average passenger, not familiar with common industry practice, could think, ‘I’m waiting to board the plane and there’s a flight attendant helping me, but they’re technically not being paid for that work,’” Gomez explained. He added that any gains made could influence standards across the aviation industry.

Air Canada outlined its most recent proposal on Thursday, saying senior flight attendants would earn an average of CAN$87,000 ($65,000) by 2027. CUPE rejected the offer, describing it as “below inflation (and) below market value.” The union has also dismissed calls from the federal government and Air Canada to enter arbitration.

Experts believe the strike may not last long. “This is peak season,” Gomez said. “The airline does not want to lose hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue… They’re almost playing chicken with the flight attendants.”

The Business Council of Canada also raised alarm before the stoppage, warning of wider consequences. “At a time when Canada is dealing with unprecedented pressures on our critical economic supply chains, the disruption of national air passenger travel and cargo transport services would cause immediate and extensive harm to all Canadians,” it said.