On Sunday, Aug. 17 Air Canada revealed it plans to resume flights today following a decision from the Canadian Industrial Relations Board that put a swift end to the strike from Air Canada flight attendants that saw a total of over 1,100 flights canceled over the past three days.
Air Canada Statement After Strike Ends
“The CIRB has directed Air Canada to resume airline operations and for all Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge flight attendants to resume their duties by 14:00 EDT on Aug. 17, 2025. The CIRB further ordered that the term of the collective agreement between Air Canada and CUPE that expired on March 31, 2025, be extended to include the period beginning on April 1, 2025 and ending on the day on which the new collective agreement between the parties comes into effect,” part of the statement read. “The CIRB also imposed final binding arbitration to resolve the outstanding terms of the collective agreement. The arbitration procedure will be addressed in the coming days and weeks.”
Air Canada announced the restart of operations will start immediately with the first flights coming on Sunday night. However, the airline cautioned that it will take several days for operations will return to normal, adding that “some flights will be canceled over the next seven to ten days until the schedule is stabilized.”
A Message for Travelers
“Customers whose flights were cancelled and did not travel and who did not accept a refund or credit for future travel, will be notified and provided a new itinerary. Air Canada strongly recommends against customers going to the airport unless they have a confirmed booking and their flights are showing as operating,” the airline said in a message. “Customers are also advised to use self-service tools as contact centre wait times are expected to remain elevated during the ramp up period.”
The airline also revealed customers in Canada are not eligible for compensation for delayed or cancelled flights, meals, hotels or other incidental expenses for situations outside the carrier’s control, such as a labor disruption.
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