Air Canada halts operations as cabin crew begins strike

According to the BBC, the airline said the strike, which
began in the early hours of Saturday, is expected to disrupt the travel plans
of about 130,000 passengers daily.

The airline added that all operations, including its budget
arm, Air Canada Rouge, had been halted, while advising customers not to head to
the airport unless booked on a different carrier.

However, flights operated by Air Canada Jazz, PAL Airlines,
and Air Canada Express remain unaffected.

The report said at least 500 flights are expected to be
cancelled daily, adding that 623 flights had already been scrapped on Friday,
affecting over 100,000 passengers as the airline wound down operations ahead of
the strike.

Cabin crew members, represented by the Canadian Union of
Public Employees (CUPE), are demanding higher salaries and pay for hours spent
on the ground, such as boarding and waiting, which they say are currently
unpaid.

Air Canada said it had offered a 38 percent increase in
total compensation over four years, including a 25 percent raise in the first
year, however, CUPE rejected the proposal, describing it as “below inflation,
below market value, below minimum wage”.

The strike was approved after 99.7 percent of union members
voted in favour earlier this month.

Patty Hajdu, Canada’s employment minister, has urged both
sides to return to the negotiating table, noting that Air Canada has asked the
government to refer the dispute to binding arbitration.

The publication said picket lines have already formed at
major Canadian airports as stranded passengers scramble for alternative
bookings.

Air Canada, which operates flights to 180 destinations
worldwide, apologised for the disruption, saying it “deeply regrets the effect
the strike is having on customers”.