Air Canada Faces Shutdown as Flight Attendants Strike Looms

Air Canada is bracing for major disruption as its flight attendants prepare to strike on Saturday, prompting the airline to cancel hundreds of flights and affecting over 100,000 passengers.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), representing Air Canada’s 10,000 flight attendants, became legally entitled to strike at 12:01 am (0401 GMT) on Saturday, following the submission of a 72-hour strike notice on Wednesday. According to the public broadcaster CBC, the industrial action could commence as early as 1:00 am if no last-minute agreement is reached.

Air Canada, which serves approximately 130,000 passengers daily, began a gradual wind-down of operations in anticipation of the work stoppage. By 8:00 pm on Friday, the airline had cancelled 623 flights, impacting more than 100,000 passengers.

The dispute centres on wages and compensation for ground duties, including time spent assisting passengers during boarding. Rafael Gomez, director of the University of Toronto’s Centre for Industrial Relations, told AFP that compensating flight attendants only for time in the air is a common industry practice worldwide.

“An average passenger might see flight attendants assisting during boarding and assume they are being paid for that work, when technically they are not,” Gomez explained. “That’s a very effective issue for the union to highlight, creating a perception of unfairness.”

Air Canada’s latest offer, outlined in a Thursday statement, proposed that a senior flight attendant would earn an average of CAN$87,000 ($65,000) by 2027. CUPE, however, described these offers as “below inflation and below market value.” The union has also rejected government and airline calls to resolve the dispute through independent arbitration.

Gomez predicted that even if the strike proceeds, it is unlikely to be prolonged. “This is peak season. The airline cannot afford to lose hundreds of millions in revenue. They’re essentially playing chicken with the flight attendants,” he said.

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