Air Canada has fully resumed operations following a nearly four-day cabin crew strike that grounded over 2,500 flights and disrupted travel for approximately 500,000 passengers across six continents.
Dublin flights AC801@09.50 to Toronto and AC917@09.20 to Montreal take off today after four days of disruption.
The breakthrough came early on 19 August 2025, when the airline and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), representing over 10,000 flight attendants, reached a tentative agreement after nine hours of mediated talks overseen by federal mediator William Kaplan.
The deal, which awaits ratification by union members, includes significant pay increases and at least 60 minutes of ground pay at 50% of the hourly rate for work before flights, addressing a key union demand for compensation during boarding and ground duties.
The strike, which began on 16 August, marked the first walkout by Air Canada’s cabin crew in 40 years, halting all Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge services, though Air Canada Express flights operated by Jazz and PAL Airlines continued unaffected.
The airline, which operates around 700 flights daily and carries 130,000 passengers, faced significant challenges as the stoppage coincided with the peak summer travel season, exacerbated by recent U.S. tariffs impacting Canada’s economy. Initial attempts to resume flights on 17 August were thwarted when CUPE defied a federal back-to-work order from the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB), deemed unconstitutional by the union, leading to the cancellation of 240 additional flights.
Federal Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu, invoking Section 107 of the Canada Labour Code, had pushed for binding arbitration, but CUPE’s resistance prompted renewed negotiations that culminated in the tentative deal. Air Canada began restarting operations on 19 August, with initial flights departing from Toronto to Tokyo, Vancouver to Los Angeles, and Montreal to Toronto. The airline has warned that full restoration of its €1.2 billion operation may take seven to ten days, as aircraft and crews are repositioned globally.
Affected passengers are being offered full refunds, future travel credits, or rebooking options on other carriers, though limited capacity during the summer peak has posed challenges.
The agreement, described by CUPE as achieving “transformational change,” also prompted Hajdu to announce a probe into unpaid work practices in the airline sector.
As Air Canada works to stabilise its schedule, travellers like Klaus Hickman, who faced disruptions en route to Germany, express mixed sentiments, sympathising with workers’ demands for fair wages while grappling with the inconvenience of cancellations. The resolution signals a return to normalcy for Canada’s largest carrier, but the economic and reputational impacts of the strike linger as the airline navigates a delicate recovery.
“I need a holiday after this” Bláithín O’Donnell, Air Canada country head for Ireland said, having worked tirelessly to resolve issues over the duration of ths strike.
