Air Canada will resume flights this evening after the Canadian Industrial Relations Board (CIRB), following a directive from Federal Minister Patty Hajdu, referred the airline’s contract dispute with CUPE flight attendants to final binding arbitration. This order ends the strike that had grounded over 700 flights since August 16.
The CIRB instructed Air Canada and its Rouge subsidiary to restart operations and for flight attendants to return to duty by 14:00 EDT on August 17. The expired collective agreement is extended until a new deal is reached.
Because aircraft and crew are displaced, flight operations will ramp up gradually, with full stabilisation expected in 7–10 days. Some cancellations will continue during this period.
Air Canada advises passengers to check flight status before heading to the airport and use self-service tools, as contact centre wait times remain long. Customers are reminded that under Canadian passenger protection rules, compensation does not apply to cancellations caused by labour disruptions, though Air Canada will continue to meet regulatory obligations.