Air Canada strike: 10,000 staff walk out flights canceled worldwide

Photo : Reuters

Air Canada flights shut down as 10,000 flight attendants go on strike, leaving thousands of travelers stranded

Canada’s biggest airline, Air Canada, has stopped all flights after more than 10,000 of its flight attendants walked off the job early Saturday morning, August 16, 2025. The strike began just after 1 a.m. (EDT) when talks between the airline and the union broke down without an agreement.

The sudden shutdown has left travelers around the world stuck at airports and unable to fly during one of the busiest times of the year. Air Canada runs close to 700 flights every single day, carrying about 130,000 passengers. Now, with operations frozen, thousands of Canadians abroad and many others who were planning vacations or business trips are left in limbo.

Why the strike happened

The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), which represents the flight attendants, said they had no choice but to go on strike after months of failed talks. Hugh Pouliot, the union’s spokesperson, confirmed the walkout and said that Air Canada had not responded to their latest offers since Tuesday.

“We are here to reach a deal, not to strike,” Pouliot explained. “But the airline has left us no other option.”

The union rejected Air Canada’s request to move into government-led arbitration. Arbitration would have stopped the strike but also taken away the union’s right to continue negotiating directly, instead handing the decision over to a third-party mediator.

The core dispute is about wages and unpaid work hours. Flight attendants say they are not paid for the time they spend helping passengers before takeoff and after landing, even though this is a big part of their job.

Government pressure

Patty Hajdu, Canada’s federal Jobs Minister, met both sides late Friday night in an effort to prevent the strike. She criticized the lack of progress and called it “unacceptable,” urging both Air Canada and the union to push harder for a settlement.

“Canadians are depending on both parties to give their best efforts,” Hajdu said.

Despite these talks, no deal was made, and the strike officially began in the early hours of Saturday. Around the same time, Air Canada started blocking flight attendants from entering airports, effectively locking them out.

Impact on travelers

The shutdown is affecting tens of thousands of people every day. About 25,000 Canadians abroad could be stranded until flights resume.

One of those passengers is 21-year-old Montreal resident Alex Laroche, who had saved since Christmas for a dream trip to Europe with his girlfriend. They spent $8,000 on flights and non-refundable hotels for their vacation in Nice, France.

Their Saturday night flight has been canceled, and now they are anxiously waiting for updates. “At first, I was really upset with the union,” Alex said. “But when I read about how little flight attendants are paid, I understood their side. Their wages are barely enough to live on.”

Air Canada has promised full refunds for all canceled flights. The airline also said it will try to book passengers with other Canadian and international airlines. But because summer flights are already packed, many people may not get rebooked quickly. Alex said he tried to buy tickets on other airlines, but the few seats left were more than double the $3,000 he had originally paid.

“At this point, it’s just a waiting game,” he said.

The contract fight

Negotiations between Air Canada and CUPE have been dragging on for nearly eight months. Both sides remain far apart on the issue of pay.

Air Canada recently offered a 38% boost in overall compensation, including pensions and benefits, spread out over four years. The company claimed this deal would make Air Canada flight attendants the best paid in the country.

The union, however, said the first-year raise of 8% was too small, especially since the cost of living has risen sharply in recent years. Workers argue that their pay has not kept up with inflation and that the unpaid hours they spend on duty only make things worse.

What happens next

It is unclear how long the strike will last. Air Canada’s Chief Operating Officer, Mark Nasr, said that even if an agreement is reached soon, it may take up to a week to fully restart flights. That means the disruption could continue well beyond the first few days of the strike.

For now, thousands of travelers remain uncertain about when they will be able to fly again. Families, students, and holidaymakers are facing canceled plans, while flight attendants say they are standing firm for fair pay and better working conditions.