Air Canada has said that it will “gradually resume” operations after reaching an agreement with the trade union representing 10,000 flight attendants, ending a days-long strike in which all flights were grounded.
The airline said an agreement was reached following mediation with the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), and the union agreed for striking members to return to work immediately, in a statement published Tuesday.
“The suspension of our service is extremely difficult for our customers. We deeply regret and apologize for the impact on them of this labour disruption. Our priority now is to get them moving as quickly as possible,” said President and CEO of Air Canada Michael Rousseau.
Rousseau added that restarting Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge operations is a “complex undertaking,” warning that a full return to normal service could take a week or longer.
“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. Only customers with confirmed bookings whose flights are shown as operating should go to the airport,” the statement read.
Canada’s largest airline company said that customers with tickets can check their flight’s status on its website or the Air Canada mobile app.
In response to the agreement, CUPE said: “Unpaid work is over. We have reclaimed our voice and our power. When our rights were taken away, we stood strong, we fought back — and we secured a tentative agreement that our members can vote on,” in a statement on Tuesday.
Flight attendants went on strike after Air Canada gave wage increases to certain employees, including pilots with a 26% rise in 2024, a mostly male-filed role according to CUPE. In contrast, the union said that flight attendants, who are mainly women, received a lower 8% increase in 2025.
The Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) had ordered all Air Canada flight attendants on strike to return to work by 2 p.m. ET Sunday, August 17, after a directive from Minister for Jobs and Families Patty Hajdu.
In response, National President of CUPE Mark Hancock said that the union “would not back down.”
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