Turbulence before takeoff
Passengers on Air Canada could be grounded as early as Thursday, with the airline putting out a notice that complete suspension of flights is imminent come Saturday. The measure follows a resounding 99.7% strike vote by flight attendants unionised by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE).
Air Canada responded with a 72-hour lockout notice, effective August 16, essentially telling its 9,500 flight attendants: if you’re going to strike, we’re shutting the doors first. For travellers, this means cancelled flights could begin rolling out Thursday and intensify Friday—until the airline halts completely on Saturday.
What’s at stake in the standoff
Flight attendants have been bargaining for nine months for higher pay, cost-of-living allowances, and the removal of unpaid overtime. Boarding compensation—pay for the time spent by flight attendants welcoming passengers and setting up cabins before flights take off—has been a bargaining sore point.
We have tabled firm, evidence-based proposals on wages and unpaid labour, all based on fairness and industry practice,” added CUPE Air Canada Component President Wesley Lesosky. “Air Canada’s reaction makes one thing certain: they don’t want to settle these vital issues.
Air Canada insists that it has made efforts to negotiate with the union. After eight months of negotiations, the airline offered arbitration and a four-year 38% pay increase, plus enhanced benefits and protection. The union rejected the proposal and gave a formal strike notice, which triggered the airline’s lockout.
The clock is ticking for travelers
Air Canada carries approximately 130,000 people every day, with nearly 430 daily flights between Canada and over 50 U.S. airports. Any downtime of this scale isn’t a bother—it’s a logistical nightmare.
The firm asserts it is proceeding with a “gradual, orderly wind down of operations”, but clients are bracing for chaos. The first cancellations are expected on Thursday, with more on Friday, and ending in a full shutdown on Saturday. Even overseas flights could be affected as much as domestic flights.
Federal mediators stand in reserve. Canadian Jobs and Families Minister Patty Hajdu urged both sides to continue negotiating. “I am monitoring the situation closely and urge both parties to stay at the table until the job is done,” she wrote.
A larger battle for reasonable pay
The Air Canada labour dispute highlights a conflict throughout the industry over compensation for flight attendants. Delta and other large airlines in the United States have faced pressure to provide boarding pay, with attendants insisting that unpaid ground hours cause fatigue, financial distress, and decreased morale.
CUPE is demanding 100% compensation for every hour of work and cost-of-living increases, contending that the current model is undervaluing the people who work to provide safety for passengers and service. The union recalls that the airlines have bounced back financially after the losses during the pandemic years, but cabin crew wages have not kept pace with rising living costs.
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What’s Next?
Unless an eleventh-hour bargain is struck, Air Canada will be locking out its flight attendants starting Saturday. The carrier refuses to fly until a contract is signed, which promises to mean grounded travellers, cancelled vacations, and disrupted business travel are all but guaranteed.
The question now is whether travel pressure, government pressure, and the impending financial shock will get both sides back to the table—or if this confrontation is a long, dirty fight.
One thing’s certain: anyone who has an Air Canada ticket this week might want to have a Plan B. The skies in North America are about to get nasty.
