Air Canada’s operations were brought to a standstill early Saturday as flight attendants commenced a strike, resulting in widespread disruption for the airline’s estimated 130,000 daily passengers.
The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), representing 10,000 flight attendants, confirmed the action in a statement, declaring, “We are now officially on strike,” according to ITV.
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In response, Air Canada, which provides direct flights to 180 cities globally, announced the suspension of all operations. The airline urged passengers not to travel to airports and expressed regret over the disruption. “Air Canada is strongly advising affected customers not to go to the airport,” the airline said.
CUPE legally initiated the strike at 12:01 a.m. (0401 GMT) on Saturday following a 72-hour strike notice issued on Wednesday. Both the union and the airline confirmed that the walkout officially began at 12:58 a.m.
Prior to the strike, Air Canada had already begun scaling back flights. By 8:00 p.m. Friday, 623 flights had been cancelled, affecting more than 100,000 passengers. The airline subsequently cancelled its entire 700-flight schedule for Saturday.
Rafael Gomez, Director of the University of Toronto’s Center for Industrial Relations, noted that paying flight attendants only for time spent in the air is “common practice, even around the world.” He praised the union’s strategy for drawing public attention to the issue.
“‘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, highlighting how the union framed a relatable concern for travelers. “That’s a very good issue to highlight,” he added, suggesting any concessions secured by Air Canada flight attendants could influence practices at other carriers.
In its most recent proposal, Air Canada stated that senior flight attendants would earn an average of CAN$87,000 ($65,000) by 2027. CUPE rejected the offer, labeling it “below inflation (and) below market value,” and declined calls from both the airline and the federal government to submit the dispute to independent arbitration.
Gomez predicted that the strike may not extend for long, noting that it coincides with peak travel season. “The airline does not want to lose hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue… They’re almost playing chicken with the flight attendants,” he said.
The strike also arrives amid ongoing economic pressures in Canada from U.S. tariffs under former President Donald Trump, which have impacted industries including automotive, aluminum, and steel.
The Business Council of Canada warned that a full Air Canada shutdown could exacerbate these economic strains. “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,” the Council stated.
