TORONTO, CANADA — Air Canada has been forced to cancel hundreds of flights, impacting tens of thousands of travelers worldwide, as a strike by its 10,000 flight attendants began early on Saturday, August 16. The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), which represents the flight attendants, initiated the strike after contract negotiations with the airline reached a stalemate.
The airline had been preparing for the strike since Thursday, when it began a “phased wind-down of most of our operations.” On Friday evening alone, Air Canada announced the cancellation of 623 flights, affecting over 100,100 passengers. As of early Saturday morning, the airline had suspended all operations for its Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge flights, strongly advising customers “not to go to the airport” unless they had a confirmed booking with another airline.
Flights to and from India Severely Impacted
Among the flights affected by the massive cancellations are several key routes connecting Canada and India. Direct flights from major Canadian hubs such as Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal to New Delhi have been grounded. Flights from Calgary with a stopover in London have also been impacted. The airline has daily flights to various Indian cities, including Mumbai, Hyderabad, Amritsar, Ahmedabad, Chennai, and Kochi, from its main hubs in Canada.
Flights returning from India were also impacted even before the strike officially began, as the airline proactively canceled long-haul flights in anticipation of the work stoppage. On Thursday, Air Canada reported on X (formerly Twitter) that the union had rejected an agreement to fly passengers back to Canada, leaving an additional 25,000 passengers stranded abroad.
Negotiations at an Impasse
The strike follows eight months of stalled negotiations between the airline and the union. The flight attendants are seeking higher wages and improved working conditions, including compensation for ground duties such as boarding, which are currently unpaid. While Air Canada’s latest offer reportedly included a 38% increase in total compensation over four years, the union rejected it, arguing that the proposed first-year raise was insufficient given inflation.
Travel Industry Sees Possibility of Relief
Despite the widespread disruption, some travel industry experts remain cautiously optimistic. Vibhor Chhabra, director of Toronto-based Grand Travel, noted that the situation is “manageable” due to Air Canada’s membership in the Star Alliance group of airlines. This affiliation allows for passengers to be transferred to other member airlines, such as Air India, or to flights with layovers in Europe. While some impact is unavoidable, passengers are being rerouted to other airlines through existing arrangements.
Air Canada has stated that customers with canceled flights are eligible for a full refund and that it is working to provide alternative travel options where possible. However, the airline warned that immediate rebooking might not be possible due to the peak summer travel season.