Air Canada to cancel 500 flights by Friday ahead of looming strike
Air Canada Prepares to Cancel Flights Ahead of Flight Attendant Strike
Air Canada announced on Thursday that it anticipates canceling several dozen flights by the end of the day and approximately 500 flights by the end of Friday, affecting around 100,000 passengers, in anticipation of a planned strike by its unionized flight attendants on Saturday.
Mark Nasr, the chief operations officer at Air Canada, explained that the complexity of the carrier’s network, which operates over 250 aircraft on flights to more than 65 countries, necessitates the gradual winding down of services. Restarting operations would require about a week to complete.
“It’s simply not the kind of system that we can start or stop at the push of a button,” Nasr told reporters in Toronto.
FlightAware data indicates that Air Canada has already canceled nine flights as of midday on Thursday.
A strike could displace passengers, impact the country’s tourism sector during peak summer travel, and present a new challenge for the ruling Liberal government under Prime Minister Mark Carney, as the carrier has requested government intervention to impose arbitration.
Air Canada and its low-cost subsidiary Air Canada Rouge collectively serve about 130,000 customers daily. Air Canada also operates the largest number of flights to the US among foreign carriers.
US carrier United Airlines, a code share partner of Air Canada, has issued a travel waiver to assist customers in managing their travel plans.
Passengers have expressed concerns about missed vacations and potential strandings abroad due to the impending strike, while also showing support for the flight attendants.
David Nguyen, a 28-year-old pharmacist currently vacationing in Cancun, Mexico, voiced worries about potentially being stranded if his Friday flight back to Toronto gets canceled. He attempted to rebook on another airline but found limited options at high prices.
Summer Mehdi, a 19-year-old college student, shared how her family’s summer vacation to Portugal and France is now uncertain due to the strike.
Earlier in the day, Canadian Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu urged Air Canada and the union representing its 10,000 flight attendants to resume negotiations to avoid disruptions.
The dispute revolves around how airlines compensate flight attendants, with the union seeking payment for tasks beyond when planes are in motion.
Air Canada has offered a 38% increase in total compensation for flight attendants over four years, including a 25% raise in the first year.
($1 = 1.3811 Canadian dollars)
