Air Canada halts operations as cabin crew begins strike

Air Canada has suspended flights after more than 10,000 cabin crew commenced strike over pay and ground-time compensation.

According to the BBC, the airline said the strike, which began in the early hours of Saturday, is expected to disrupt the travel plans of about 130,000 passengers daily.

The airline added that all operations, including its budget arm, Air Canada Rouge, had been halted, while advising customers not to head to the airport unless booked on a different carrier.

However, flights operated by Air Canada Jazz, PAL Airlines, and Air Canada Express remain unaffected.

The report said at least 500 flights are expected to be cancelled daily, adding that 623 flights had already been scrapped on Friday, affecting over 100,000 passengers as the airline wound down operations ahead of the strike.

Cabin crew members, represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), are demanding higher salaries and pay for hours spent on the ground, such as boarding and waiting, which they say are currently unpaid.

Air Canada said it had offered a 38 percent increase in total compensation over four years, including a 25 percent raise in the first year, however, CUPE rejected the proposal, describing it as “below inflation, below market value, below minimum wage”.

The strike was approved after 99.7 percent of union members voted in favour earlier this month.

Patty Hajdu, Canada’s employment minister, has urged both sides to return to the negotiating table, noting that Air Canada has asked the government to refer the dispute to binding arbitration.

The publication said picket lines have already formed at major Canadian airports as stranded passengers scramble for alternative bookings.

Air Canada, which operates flights to 180 destinations worldwide, apologised for the disruption, saying it “deeply regrets the effect the strike is having on customers”.