Air Canada’s flight attendants officially on strike

This story was updated on Saturday, August 16 at 9:45 a.m.

Air Canada’s 10,000 flight attendants are officially on strike, according to the group’s union.

The Air Canada Component of CUPE announced the news early Saturday morning (Aug. 16), stating that picket lines will be active at all bases.

The flight attendants are seeking improved wages and compensation for work they do before flights take off and after they land.

In a press release, Air Canada confirmed that it has suspended all operations of Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge due to the strike, which took effect at 12:58 am ET.

Flights by Air Canada Express, which are operated by third-party airlines (such as PAL Airlines and Air Canada Jazz), are not affected. 

At Toronto Pearson airport, striking Air Canada flight attendants began picketing outside the Terminal 1 Departures level on Saturday morning. 

"Our teams are on site to assist passengers and help maintain the flow of traffic," the airport wrote on X. "To help avoid any potential delays, we recommend travellers give themselves extra time if they are flying out."

CUPE served Air Canada the statutory 72-hour strike notice on August 13, 2025. In response to the strike, Air Canada actioned a lockout of its flight attendants at 1:30 a.m. ET. on Aug. 16. 

The airline has since been gradually reducing its schedule of approximately 700 daily flights to manage the labour disruption created by CUPE's strike notice, while working to reach a new, negotiated collective agreement and avoid further labour disruption.

Approximately 130,000 customers will be impacted each day that the strike continues, the airline says.

Air Canada is advising affected customers not to go to the airport unless they have a confirmed ticket on an airline other than Air Canada or Air Canada Rouge.

The airline is notifying customers with imminent travel of additional cancelled flights and their options.

For those customers due to travel soon whose flights are not yet cancelled, Air Canada has put in place a goodwill policy to allow them to rebook their travel or obtain a credit for future travel.

For more information, customers should visit here. 

“Air Canada deeply regrets the effect the labour disruption is having on customers,” the airline wrote in a statement. 

Stalled negotiations

The job action will have a profound impact on Air Canada's customers. The airline accounts for approximately 48 per cent of available seat miles on domestic routes, based on data from aviation analytics firm Cirium.

In contrast to its three main Canadian rivals, Air Canada operates an extensive international network, serving destinations in 65 countries.

The negotiations seem to have stalled due to disagreements over key compensation matters.

Similar to many North American carriers, Air Canada compensates its flight attendants only for time spent in the air. In 2022, Delta Air Lines became the first major U.S. airline to begin paying flight attendants for duties performed during the boarding process. 

American Airlines reached a similar agreement with its flight attendants’ union last year, and Alaska Airlines implemented the same policy this year. Meanwhile, United Airlines’ flight attendants are currently pushing for comparable pay in ongoing negotiations.

Earlier in the week, Air Canada proposed to CUPE that both sides resolve their contract negotiations through binding arbitration, following the expiration of their 10-year collective agreement in March.

However, CUPE rejected the proposal, emphasizing its preference to continue direct negotiations rather than having an arbitrator decide on unresolved issues. The union has consistently stated its desire to reach a deal at the bargaining table.

In response, Air Canada appealed to federal Labour Minister Patty Hajdu, requesting that she invoke Section 107 of the Canada Labour Code to initiate binding interest arbitration. Hajdu gave CUPE a deadline of noon on Friday to reply, and the union declined the request.

The Travel Industry Council of Ontario (TICO), meanwhile, has shared guidance for consumers who booked packaged travel that include flights on Air Canada. This includes packages booked with Air Canada Vacations and other TICO-registered businesses whose packages include flights with the airline. 

This is a developing story.

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