Air Canada Flights Restart After Strike Ends: What’s Next?
Folks, it seems Air Canada’s back in action, at least in a baby-steps kind of way. After last Sunday’s messy debacle failed to lift off, today marks the beginning of what we hope is a smoother ride.
Air Canada Reaches Settlement with Flight Attendants
Last week, things were looking bleak for Air Canada. The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), representing a staggering 10,000 flight attendants, signaled a strike with a dramatic 72-hour warning. Not to be outdone, Air Canada management launched their counter-offensive, issuing a lockout notice that grounded every single Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge flight from Saturday, August 16, 2025, onward. Yes, it was chaos.
The government even waded into the fray, hoping to shove both parties into a room until they hammered something out. Cue the flight attendants’ union flipping the script and telling their members, “strike on!”
Fast forward to today, and there’s light at the end of the boarding tunnel. Air Canada’s back at it, kicking off operations gradually as of Tuesday, August 19, 2025. They claim it’s thanks to a mediated truce, brokered by a mediator that both parties agreed on – how very civilized.
Mediation began with the union agreeing to get their staff back on the job immediately. While the higher-ups are staying tight-lipped about the details, they’re waiting for the ratification process to wrap up. Until then, consider any more striking or locking out entirely off the table.
Flights are set to resume as of this evening, but there’s a caveat: it’ll take about a week or two to get things running as normal. Expect some cancellations as planes and crews need to shuffle around. The advice to customers? Only those with flights still on the books should even think about heading to the airport. For those left in the lurch, there’s a refund or a future credit with your name on it, plus the option to hop onto flights with other airlines.
“The suspension of our service has been excruciating for our passengers. We’re truly sorry and apologize for the disruption. Our top priority is to get folks back on the move. Restarting Air Canada is no small feat and might take a week or more. We’re asking our passengers for patience and understanding. Rest assured, we’re pulling out all the stops to get you flying again.” — Air Canada CEO Michael Rousseau
This Is Great News, Fingers Crossed!
Right now, the specifics of this agreement resemble a locked vault. What we do know is the union wasn’t thrilled at the prospect of binding arbitration, fearing it would strip away their members’ voting rights on any new contract.
This whole saga is one of the most tangled labor disputes the airline’s seen in ages. Air Canada was offline nearly four days, and it doesn’t account for the week-plus to get everything back on track.
It begs the question: were union leaders thinking forward to progress, or were they banking on pulling a few aces out of their sleeve? Here’s hoping this agreement gets a thumbs up, and it’s business as usual soon enough.
Be prepared: this imbroglio might stir up a bit of bad blood between management and staff, reflecting none too brightly on morale.
Bottom Line
Starting Tuesday evening, August 19, 2025, Air Canada will crawl back to life. Discussions between management and the flight attendant union appear to have lit the pathway to a resolution, though the fine print remains under wraps.
The airline sat idle for nearly four days, in the thick of a contract dispute that saw attendants striking and management hitting back with a lockout. After a futile government bid to cork the strike, the union defiantly held fast.
Finally, with peace seemingly in grasp, let’s hope this unfolds smoothly, leaving long-term damage at a minimum.
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What are your thoughts on Air Canada rebooting operations? Journey’s firsthand insights are welcome!