Montreal: Air Canada announced it will resume its flight operations after the nation's industrial relations board mandated an end to a strike by 10,000 flight attendants, which had effectively halted the airline's operations and disrupted summer travel.
According to Kuwait News Agency, the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) instructed Air Canada to restart its airline services and required all Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge flight attendants to return to their duties by 14:00 EDT on August 17, 2025. The airline confirmed this directive in a statement, noting that while flights would begin again on Sunday evening, it may take several days for operations to return to normal. The airline also warned that some flights might still be canceled over the next seven to ten days.
The strike began on Saturday when Air Canada cabin crew members walked out over a wage dispute. In response, Patty Hajdu, Canada's labor policy minister, invoked a legal provision to halt the strike and compel both parties into binding arbitration. This directive, under section 107 of the Canada Labour Code, alongside the CIRB's order, led to the end of the strike at Air Canada, which had caused the suspension of more than 700 flights.
The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), representing the workers, had been pushing for wage increases and addressing issues related to uncompensated ground work, including tasks performed during the boarding process.