Air Canada to halt all flights by weekend as flight attendant strike looms
Air Canada Boeing 777-300ER passenger aircraft spotted flying on final approach for landing on the runway of Athens International Airport Eleftherios Venizelos at the Greek capital. (Photo by Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
MONTREAL - On Wednesday, Air Canada announced it will gradually suspend flights to facilitate an orderly shutdown of the nation’s largest airline in anticipation of a possible flight attendant strike on Saturday.
The airline said the first flights will be canceled Thursday, with more on Friday and a complete cessation of flying by Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge by the weekend.
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The union representing around 10,000 Air Canada flight attendants issued a 72-hour strike notice Wednesday. In response, the airline issued a lockout notice.
What they're saying:
Air Canada said customers whose flights are cancelled will be notified and they will be eligible for a full refund. The company also said it has made arrangements with other Canadian and foreign carriers to provide customers with alternative travel options to the extent possible.
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"We regret the impact a disruption will have on our customers, our stakeholders and the communities we serve," Air Canada CEO Michael Rousseau said in a statement.
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The backstory:
On Tuesday, Air Canada said it had reached an impasse with the union as the two sides remained far apart in contract talks. The union has said its main sticking points revolve around what it calls flight attendants’ "poverty wages" and unpaid labor when planes aren’t in the air.
"Despite our best efforts, Air Canada refused to address our core issues," the union said in a bargaining update posted online.
The union rejected a proposal from the airline to enter a binding arbitration process, saying it prefers to negotiate a deal that its members can then vote on.
The Source: The information in this story comes from official statements by Air Canada. The Associated Press contributed. This story was reported from Los Angeles.