Canada’s biggest airline is hitting turbulence — and it’s not in the sky.
Air Canada began grounding flights Thursday after its flight attendants’ union dropped a 72-hour strike notice.
Translation? If you don’t have a confirmed booking, don’t even bother heading to the airport.
The Canadian Union of Public Employees, representing 10,000 attendants, says it bargained in good faith.
The airline “refused to address” core issues like fair wages and unpaid work.
The airline calls the strike “avoidable” and warns the disruption could hit 130,000 passengers a day.
Why Are They Protesting?
Tensions were on full display Thursday when protesters with signs reading “unpaid work won’t fly” crashed a press conference, forcing it to end abruptly.
Labour Minister Patty Hajdu is urging both sides back to the table, while Air Canada is pushing for binding arbitration.
Meanwhile, the airline is shuffling aircraft and crews to make post-strike recovery faster.
The Newfoundland and Labrador government is sounding the alarm too — saying the hit to tourism during peak season could be “catastrophic.”
Some travellers, like Alanna Wolf, are already scrambling to rebook early.
“We moved our Saturday flight to Thursday… and sure enough, the strike happened.”
The strike kicks in at 1:00 a.m. Saturday.
For passengers, the countdown is on — and it’s looking less like a vacation and more like a game of travel roulette.
