Air Canada cancels flights amid looming strike threat

A Flight Attendant Strike Threatens Air Canada Operations

Scheduled Flight Cancellations Amid Union Dispute

• Air Canada has begun cancelling flights following a strike notice from the flight attendants’ union, warning that all operations could be halted by Saturday morning.
• The airline, which carries about 130,000 passengers daily, announced that negotiations on a new collective agreement with its 10,000 flight attendants had reached an impasse.
• Chief operating officer Mark Nasr told reporters that the airline has started a gradual suspension of Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge operations, with a full pause of flights expected by early Saturday.

Union Demands and Airline Response

• The union has demanded a wage increase and argued that flight attendants are not compensated for ground work, including boarding.
• The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) has dismissed Air Canada’s latest offer as “below inflation and below market value.”
• CUPE issued a 72‑hour strike notice at 12:01 AM (0401 GMT) Wednesday, meaning labor action could begin one minute past midnight on Saturday.
• Air Canada maintains that its offers have been fair, while CUPE rejected a request to settle outstanding issues through arbitration.

Public Affairs and Federal Labor Reaction

• Air Canada’s head of public affairs Arielle Meloul‑Wechsler described the union’s approach to recent negotiations as “superficial.”
• Federal labor minister Patty Hajdu said the dispute was creating widespread anxiety and urged both sides to return to the bargaining table immediately.

Air Canada’s Global Reach

As Canada’s largest airline, Air Canada flies to 65 countries and offers nonstop service to 180 cities. The upcoming labor dispute has placed the airline’s extensive network under sharp scrutiny.