Air Canada has gradually restarted operations after reaching an agreement with its union of 10,000 flight attendants to end a strike that disrupted hundreds of thousands of travelers’ plans. The deal guarantees members pay for work performed while planes are on the ground and resolves one of the major issues driving the strike.
Flight attendants walked off the job early Saturday after rejecting government-directed arbitration. However, they later agreed to return to work after mediation discussions with Air Canada. The airline said flights will start resuming at 4 p.m. ET and plans to complete half of Tuesday’s scheduled flights before ramping up on Wednesday morning for mainline North American routes.
The strike affected around 130,000 travelers daily during the peak summer travel season. Air Canada estimated that 500,000 customers would be impacted by flight cancellations. Toronto’s Pearson International Airport said it will deploy additional staff to assist passengers and support startup operations.
Passengers whose flights are impacted can request a full refund on the airline’s website or mobile app. The deal has been welcomed by Prime Minister Mark Carney, who hopes it will ensure fair compensation for flight attendants while ending disruption for hundreds of thousands of Canadians.
Source: https://www.npr.org/2025/08/19/nx-s1-5507052/air-canada-flights-resume-flight-attendants-union-strike