Air Canada resume flights after half a million passengers affected by strikes

Air Canada began gradually restarting operations yesterday aft reaching an statement pinch nan national representing 10,000 formation attendants to extremity their strike.

The walkout has disrupted nan plans of much than half a cardinal travellers aft Canada’s emblem bearer began grounding flights connected 14 August.

Flights are still expected to beryllium affected complete nan coming days, pinch nan hose requesting passengers only caput to nan airdrome if they person confirmed nan position of their flight.  

Given nan measurement of passengers still waiting to beryllium rebooked onto replacement flights, Air Canada is offering a elastic rebooking argumentation if passengers take to make their ain replacement recreation arrangements, including pinch different airlines.

Here’s what passengers request to cognize astir their authorities to refunds and compensation, and what their recreation security tin cover.

Air Canada reaches statement pinch union

The national announced nan statement early connected Tuesday aft resuming talks pinch Air Canada precocious connected Monday for nan first clip since nan strike began complete nan weekend.

Flight attendants walked disconnected nan occupation early Saturday aft turning down nan airline’s petition to participate into government-directed arbitration, which allows a third-party mediator to determine nan position of a caller contract.

The national said nan statement will guarantee salary for members who activity while planes are connected nan ground, resolving 1 of nan awesome issues that drove nan strike.

“Unpaid activity is over. We person reclaimed our sound and our power," nan national said successful a statement.

“When our authorities were taken away, we stood strong, we fought backmost - and we secured a tentative statement that our members tin ballot on.”

Have Air Canada flights resumed?

Chief executive Michael Rousseau said restarting a awesome bearer is simply a analyzable undertaking and said resuming regular work whitethorn require 7 to 10 days.

Some flights will beryllium cancelled until nan schedule is stabilised.

“Full restoration whitethorn require a week aliases more, truthful we inquire for our customers' patience and knowing complete nan coming days,” Rousseau said successful a statement.

Toronto's Pearson International Airport, Canada's largest, said it will deploy further unit to assistance passengers and support startup operations.

Air Canada says passengers tin find accusation astir their formation aliases rebooking connected their website, and they will besides person updates via matter and email.

According to nan airline's website, 76,560 customers are expected to alert today, pinch 21,739 rebooked from flights disrupted yesterday.

If you are scheduled to travel, you should check nan position of your formation online aliases connected your Air Canada mobile app earlier heading to nan airport.

The website provides updates connected nan recreation position of Air Canada's 3 main hubs - Vancouver, Toronto and Montréal - which are presently each experiencing 'moderate delays'.

What are my authorities if my Air Canada formation is cancelled?

Air Canada operates astir 700 flights per day. The hose estimated connected Monday that 500,000 customers would beryllium affected by flight cancellations.

Aviation analytics patient Cirium said that arsenic of Monday afternoon, Air Canada had called disconnected astatine slightest 1,219 home flights and 1,339 world flights since past Thursday, erstwhile nan bearer began gradually suspending its operations up of nan strike and lockout that began early Saturday.

If your formation was owed to commencement successful nan EU aliases UK and is cancelled, Air Canada is obliged to find an replacement measurement to get you to your destination.

“Customers will beryllium notified of replacement recreation options that are identified for them. However, fixed different carriers are already very afloat owed to nan summertime recreation peak, securing specified capacity will return clip and, successful galore cases, will not beryllium instantly possible,” nan hose said successful a statement.

Air Canada says it “has made arrangements pinch different Canadian and overseas carriers to supply customers replacement recreation options to nan grade possible”.

Hundreds of thousands of passengers stay stranded successful Canada aliases abroad. Those waiting for flights tin beryllium expected to beryllium provided pinch meals and accommodation wherever necessary.

Passengers whose flights are impacted will besides beryllium eligible to petition a afloat refund connected nan airline’s website aliases mobile app, according to Air Canada.

As for compensation, if Air Canada cannot rebook you connected an replacement formation wrong 4 hours of nan original timing, you are entitled to €600 - nan sum for a last destination extracurricular nan EU/EEA and region greater than 3500 km.

If your formation originated successful Canada, you are covered by nan Air Passenger Protection Regulations (APPR).

This intends that nan hose must guarantee that you complete your journey, though nary clip framework is specified.

Given nan measurement of travellers needing to beryllium rebooked connected a caller flight, Air Canada is advising passengers to cancel and petition a refund instead.

Travellers near waiting to rebook connected a caller formation are not entitled to a work of attraction as, nether Canadian regulations, it is not obligatory during “a labour disruption wrong nan carrier”.

Air Canada offers elastic rebooking for cancelled flights

Given nan measurement of passengers still waiting to beryllium rebooked onto replacement flights, Air Canada is offering a elastic rebooking argumentation should travellers take to make their ain arrangements.

For recreation betwixt 15 and 22 August 2025, you tin move your formation to different Air Canada aliases Air Canada Rouge flight, for recreation betwixt 23 August and 30 September 2025, successful nan aforesaid compartment for free, provided you do truthful astatine slightest 2 hours anterior to your original formation day and clip by modifying your itinerary.

If you for illustration to book your ain replacement transportation, you whitethorn beryllium eligible exceptionally, owed to nan important effect of nan labour disruption, to reimbursement of a reasonable fare connected different hose wrong 5 days of your original departure date, if:

• you had an Air Canada aliases Air Canada Rouge formation scheduled to depart betwixt 15 and 23 August that was cancelled, and
• you received an email from Air Canada stating they were incapable to rebook you, aliases you were offered replacement formation options that depart much than 5 days from your original departure
• you take a formation successful nan aforesaid aliases little compartment to your original flight
• your flights are betwixt nan aforesaid root and destination (including sister cities) pinch nan aforesaid named customers. You tin alteration connecting points aliases add/remove connections, arsenic agelong arsenic you take a continuous journey.
• you tin besides declare for alternate proscription options to get you betwixt your original root and destination (bus, ferry, car etc.)
• you must person booked nan astir reasonable and economical option(s) pinch your replacement travel, and ensuring that you scope your destination arsenic soon arsenic possible

If you for illustration to cancel your ticket:

• You tin petition a refund for nan unused information of your summons aliases clasp nan worth of your summons successful your AC Wallet arsenic a Future Travel Credit, for recreation dates betwixt 15 and 21 August, 2025.

Can I declare connected recreation security if my formation is cancelled?

You must activity a solution pinch nan hose first; travel insurance is secondary to what nan hose tin aliases can’t do for you (and impervious will beryllium required).

"You will person to judge what nan hose offers and past record a declare for what different costs you incur (like edifice stays, food, other transportation, etc.)," explains Christina Tunnah, Head of nan Americas for World Nomads Travel Insurance.

"Think of recreation security arsenic a information nett for nan expenses and hassles nan hose can’t aliases won’t cover.”

Travellers whitethorn beryllium entitled to compensation if their recreation security argumentation includes sum for travel interruption aliases cancellation.

In this case, you should make judge you support each applicable paperwork, including receipts, boarding passes, and hose communications, successful lawsuit you request to make a claim.

"The much grounds aliases paperwork you provide, nan smoother nan process will beryllium to measure your eligibility for reimbursement," says Tunnah.

Travel security policies often besides screen meals, hotels, aliases carrier during extended disruptions.

"Before making nan edifice preservation aliases booking nan hotel, you’ll want to reappraisal your benefits and nan maximum magnitude you tin declare for," Tunnah advises.