Air Canada’s flight attendants went on strike early Saturday, forcing the airline to suspend all operations and creating travel chaos for its 130,000 daily passengers.
“We are now officially on strike,” the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), which represents 10,000 flight attendants, said in a statement, ITV reports.
The airline, which operates direct flights to 180 cities worldwide, confirmed it had “suspended all operations” in response to the stoppage.
“Air Canada is strongly advising affected customers not to go to the airport,” it said, adding that it “deeply regrets the effect the strike is having on customers.”
CUPE was legally able to strike from 12:01 a.m. (0401 GMT) Saturday, after giving a 72-hour strike notice on Wednesday. The walkout officially began at 12:58 a.m., both sides confirmed.
Air Canada had been winding down operations ahead of the labour action. By 8:00 p.m. Friday, it had cancelled 623 flights affecting more than 100,000 passengers. Its full 700-flight schedule for Saturday has been scrapped.
Unpaid Ground Work at Issue
Alongside wage increases, CUPE says it wants compensation for unpaid ground duties, such as helping passengers during boarding.
Rafael Gomez, head of the University of Toronto’s Center for Industrial Relations, said it is “common practice, even around the world” to pay flight attendants only for time spent in the air.
He noted the union had built an effective campaign around 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,’” he said an average passenger might think.
“That’s a very good issue to highlight,” Gomez added, suggesting any gains made by Air Canada flight attendants could influence other carriers.
Air Canada outlined its latest offer in a Thursday statement, saying that under the terms, a senior flight attendant would earn on average CAN$87,000 ($65,000) by 2027.
CUPE has rejected the proposal, describing Air Canada’s offers as “below inflation (and) below market value.” The union has also turned down requests from the federal government and the airline to send the dispute to independent arbitration.
Stalemate During Peak Travel Season
Gomez said he did not expect the strike to last long.
“This is peak season,” he 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 strike comes as Canada’s economy is already feeling pressure from U.S. tariffs under President Donald Trump, affecting key industries such as auto, aluminum and steel.
The Business Council of Canada warned before the walkout that an Air Canada shutdown could worsen the strain.
“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.