Air Canada to Restart Flights Following Government Referral of CUPE Negotiations to Binding Arbitration Français
Flights to resume this evening with gradual ramp up over coming days
MONTRÉAL, Aug. 17, 2025 /CNW/ - Air Canada said it plans to resume flights today after the Canadian Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) acted on a directive from The Honourable Patty Hajdu, the Federal Minister of Jobs and Families, referring the airline's contract negotiations with the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) to final binding interest arbitration. The directive, under section 107 of the Canada Labour Code, and the CIRB's order, ends the strike at Air Canada that resulted in the suspension of more than 700 flights.
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 August 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. 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.
Because the airline had implemented its shut-down and suspended operations at 01:30 EDT on August 16, aircraft and crew are out of position vis-à-vis the schedule. Restart of operations will begin immediately, with first flights this evening, but Air Canada expects it will take several days before its operations return to normal. During this process, some flights will be canceled over the next seven to ten days until the schedule is stabilized. Air Canada deeply regrets the inconvenience for its customers.
Information for customers
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 (check your flight's status on www.aircanada.com or on our mobile app before going to the airport). Customers are also advised to use self-service tools as contact centre wait times are expected to remain elevated during the ramp up period.
Under Canada's Airline Passenger Protection Regulations, 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 labour disruption. Air Canada will in all cases inform passengers of their rights under applicable rules if their flight is cancelled or delayed and meet its regulatory obligations.
About Air Canada
Air Canada is Canada's largest airline, the country's flag carrier and a founding member of Star Alliance, the world's most comprehensive air transportation network. Air Canada provides scheduled service directly to more than 180 airports in Canada, the United States and Internationally on six continents. It holds a Four-Star ranking from Skytrax. Air Canada's Aeroplan program is Canada's premier travel loyalty program, where members can earn or redeem points on the world's largest airline partner network of 45 airlines, plus through an extensive range of merchandise, hotel and car rental partners. Through Air Canada Vacations, it offers more travel choices than any other Canadian tour operator to hundreds of destinations worldwide, with a wide selection of hotels, flights, cruises, day tours, and car rentals. Its freight division, Air Canada Cargo, provides air freight lift and connectivity to hundreds of destinations across six continents using Air Canada's passenger and freighter aircraft. Air Canada's climate-related ambition includes a long-term aspirational goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. For additional information, please see Air Canada's TCFD disclosure. Air Canada shares are publicly traded on the TSX in Canada and the OTCQX in the US.
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