Canada’s biggest airline is poised to start canceling several dozen flights Thursday ahead of a weekend lockout of flight attendants that threatens to throw travel plans for tens of thousands into chaos during the peak summer season.
Air Canada said it will gradually suspend operations over three days, ending with “a complete cessation of flying by Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge” on Saturday, when the lockout is scheduled to begin. Air Canada opted to temporarily halt all flights after a flight attendants union earlier this week voted overwhelmingly to strike.
The cancellations could have ripple effects across air travel, based on the size of Air Canada’s footprint in the industry and its connections to the US and broader international travel.
Air Canada warned that once the lockout begins, it may not offer flights for quite some time, even if the company quickly reaches a deal with the union: The airline said Thursday during a press conference that it would take a week to fully restart after suspension of operations.
The briefing came to an end early, after members of the union stood silently, holding signs that read “UnfAir Canada” and “Poverty wages = UnCanadian.”
Air Canada said it flies about 130,000 passengers every day who could be impacted by the lockout and resultant cancellations. That’s including Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge flights; Air Canada Express flights operated by regional partners will not be affected.
Among those passengers are, “25,000 Canadians that the airline flies home from abroad each day, who could be stranded,” Air Canada said in a statement Wednesday reacting to the planned strike, which it preempted with a lockout.
The Canadian Union of Public Employees, which represents the local chapter for Air Canada flight attendants, gave a strike notice according to the airline, which triggered a 72-hour lockout notice by Air Canada effective Aug. 16. Nearly all members, 99.7% of the membership voted to strike, the union said.
“We are very disappointed by the actions of CUPE, which will potentially inconvenience hundreds of thousands of customers and Canadians,” said Arielle Meloul-Wechsler, executive vice president, chief human resources officer and public affairs during a press conference Thursday. “This is a situation that was and still is avoidable. We remain available to continue the negotiations.”
Air Canada said it will try to accommodate passengers disrupted by rebooking them on competitor airlines. However, given the peak summer travel season, if not possible, the airline will offer either a full refund of a passenger’s ticket and any associated Air Canada services or an option to rebook their travel for a later date without any change fee.
Aviation analytics firm Cirium said Thursday morning that the airline had called off 15 domestic flights and no international flights yet, however, more cancellations had begun trickling in throughout the coming days.
“Air Canada is a very complex system,” said Mark Nasr, Air Canada’s executive vice president and chief operations office during the Thursday press conference. “It simply is not the kind of system we can start or stop at the push of a button.”
Several dozen mostly long-haul international flight set to leave Thursday night will be part of the first wave of cancelations. By the end of the day Friday, the airline expects to cancel 500 flights, ahead of the full system stoppage on Saturday, Nasr said.
Will travelers from the US and other countries be impacted?
Yes, the impact will be felt outside Canada, given the size and scope of the carrier’s international operations. Air Canada has nearly 430 daily flights between Canada and the US at over 50 US airports.
Air Canada said it will try to get impacted customers on flights with other carriers, which will eat into the number of available seats, which as the airline noted in its statement is already limited this time of year.
“Given other carriers are already very full due to the summer travel peak, securing such capacity will take time and, in many cases, will not be immediately possible,” the airline said.
Air Canada is also a member of the Star Alliance, a group of 25 international airlines that coordinate with each other on connecting flights and services. United Airlines, Luftansa, Turkish Airlines and Air China are also alliance members.
Besides looking for alternate bookings, Air Canada said customers with canceled flights will be eligible for a refund.
The airline “strongly recommends against” going to the airport unless customers have a confirmed booking and their flights are listed as operating on Air Canada’s website and mobile app.
Air Canada and the union representing its flight attendants have been unable to reach a new contract agreement after eight months of negotiations, the airline said.
The two sides remain far apart on pay, notably for the work flight attendants do when planes are not in the air that the union says they are not paid for.
“For the past nine months, we have put forward solid, data-driven proposals on wages and unpaid work, all rooted in fairness and industry standards,” said Wesley Lesosky, president of the Air Canada Component of the Canadian Union of Public Employees, which represents the flight attendants union nationally.
Air Canada said the union rejected a proposal sent Monday that offered a 38% compensation increase over four years, among other benefits and protections.
The union represents about 10,000 Air Canada flight attendants, according to the Associated Press.
It’s unclear at this point how long the lockout could last.
According to CNN affiliate CBC News, protests and other work stoppages have occurred over the years among varying employees, halting some operations.
Patty Hajdu, Canadian minister of jobs and families called the lockout and strike vote “disappointing” in a statement Thursday.
“I urge both parties to put their differences aside, come back to the bargaining table and get this done now for the many travelers who are counting on you,” Hajdu said.
