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2w ago

Air Canada Begins Wind-Down of Flights After Lockout Notice

A lockout triggered by a strike notice will force Air Canada to cancel most mainline and Rouge flights starting Aug. 14 in the face of a wage and ground-duty stalemate.

The Air Canada check-in area inside Terminal 1 of Toronto Pearson International Airport is pictured in Mississauga, Ont., on Wednesday, August 13 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Arlyn McAdorey
Air Canada flight attendants during a demonstration at Toronto Pearson International Airport in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, on Monday, Aug. 11, 2025. Workers represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), are holding a simultaneous action at airports in Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, and Calgary, to raise awareness about ongoing issues related to their working conditions. Photographer: Arlyn McAdorey/Bloomberg
The Air Canada check-in area inside Terminal 1 of Toronto Pearson International Airport is pictured in Mississauga, Ont., on Wednesday, August 13 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Arlyn McAdorey
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Overview

  • CUPE flight attendants delivered a 72-hour strike notice on Aug. 13 following a 99.7% strike-authorization vote, prompting Air Canada to issue a matching lockout notice.
  • Air Canada will phase out mainline and Rouge operations over three days, with cancellations starting Aug. 14 and a potential full suspension by Aug. 16 if no agreement is reached.
  • The dispute centers on the union’s demands for higher wages and pay for safety-related duties performed on the ground, which they say are currently uncompensated.
  • Air Canada has proposed a 38% total compensation increase over four years and sought government-directed binding arbitration, a move CUPE rejects as stripping members of negotiating rights.
  • Air Canada warns around 130,000 daily passengers could be affected by the shutdown and plans to offer full refunds and flexible rebooking for cancelled flights.