Air Canada resumes flights after union deal ends multi-day strike

Michael Rousseau, President and Chief Executive Officer of Air Canada, apologized to passengers affected by the disruption since August 16. He said, "our priority now is to get them moving as quickly as possible." Rousseau also noted that restoring full operations would not happen immediately: "Restarting a major carrier like Air Canada is a complex undertaking. Full restoration may require a week or more, so we ask for our customers’ patience and understanding over the coming days. I assure them that everyone at Air Canada is doing everything possible to enable them to travel soon."

The specifics of the agreement with CUPE have not been disclosed. The airline stated it will "not [comment] on the agreement until the ratification process is complete." Strikes are not permitted during this period, which means passengers can expect increased reliability in upcoming bookings.

According to tracking data from Flightradar24, only regional flights operated by Jazz and PAL Airlines under the Air Canada Express brand were operating during the strike. These services were unaffected by the industrial action. Mainline flights and those operated by Air Canada Rouge are scheduled to resume this evening.

Air Canada has cautioned that some cancellations will continue as it works to reposition aircraft and crews. The airline advises: "only customers with confirmed bookings whose flights are shown as operating should go to the airport," adding that guests can check their flight status online. Passengers on canceled flights will be offered refunds, rebooking options, or credit.

The strike followed a 72-hour warning issued last week by CUPE after contract negotiations stalled. The walkout involved 10,000 flight attendants and began on August 16; however, cancellations had already started two days earlier.

Between August 16 and 18, more than 730 mainline and Rouge flights were canceled each day according to Flight Aware data.

Initially hoping for a quick resumption of services on August 17, Air Canada's plans were disrupted when CUPE instructed members to defy a return-to-work order from the Canadian Industrial Relations Board (CIRB), which labeled the strike unlawful based on government guidance. With an agreement now reached through mediation, Air Canada aims for a stable return to regular operations.