Air Canada Flight Attendant Strike: Everything Passengers Need to Know.

Air Canada flight attendants are set to strike on Saturday after a 72-hour notice was issued. The union is seeking better wages and benefits, with the airline offering a 38% pay hike over four years. Air Canada has started cancelling flights and will provide full refunds to affected passengers. The strike could lead to travel disruptions and cancellations, with Air Canada advising passengers not to go to the airport if they don't have confirmed flights.

Air Canada (AC.TO) is preparing to halt most of its flights after its flight attendants' union served a 72-hour strike notice on Wednesday, warning of a walkout as contract talks over a pay deal stall. The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), representing more than 10,000 cabin crew at the country's largest carrier, took the step just hours after the airline asked Ottawa to step in [1].

The strike is set to begin at about 1 a.m. ET on Saturday. Earlier this month, 99.7% of employees represented by the union voted for a strike. The disruption would affect about 130,000 customers a day, Air Canada said, adding that customers would be fully refunded for canceled flights during the busy summer season [1].

The airline has started canceling flights and will provide full refunds to affected passengers. The strike could lead to travel disruptions and cancellations, with Air Canada advising passengers not to go to the airport if they don't have confirmed flights [2].

Air Canada's offer to the union included a 38% increase in total compensation for flight attendants over four years, with a 25% raise in the first year. However, the union rejected the offer, stating that it was "below inflation, below market value, below minimum wage - and still leaves flight attendants unpaid for all hours of work" [1].

The union is seeking compensation for all hours worked, including boarding and waiting at airports before and between flights. Most airlines pay cabin crew only for time spent in flight, but flight attendants in North America are seeking pay for all hours worked [1].

Air Canada has declared a deadlock in negotiations and has requested government-directed arbitration as the only certain avenue to bring closure to bargaining [1]. The government has the power to direct both parties to binding interest arbitration to avoid massive economic disruptions [1].

The strike is expected to impact Air Canada's cargo operations as well, with significant cargo disruptions anticipated. The airline's cargo division will continue to operate its freighter fleet on a modified schedule [3].

References:
[1] https://www.reuters.com/business/world-at-work/air-canada-seeks-government-intervention-contract-talks-with-flight-attendants-2025-08-12/
[2] https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/air-canada-suspend-flights-starting-123451317.html
[3] https://www.freightwaves.com/news/air-canada-flight-attendants-announce-strike-date-cargo-shipments-at-risk