TORONTO - Air Canada’s flight attendants went on strike on Aug 16, as the airline announced a complete shutdown of operations, creating summer travel chaos for its 130,000 daily passengers.

“We are now officially on strike,” the Canadian Union of Public Employees (Cupe), which represents Air Canada’s 10,000 flight attendants, said in a statement.

Air Canada, which has direct flights to 180 cities worldwide, said it had “suspended all operations” in response to the work stoppage.

“Air Canada is strongly advising affected customers not to go to the airport,” it said, adding that it “deeply regrets the effect the strike is having on customers”.

Cupe was in a legal position to strike from 12.01am on Aug 16, after delivering a 72-hour strike notice on Aug 13. The strike began at 12.58am, both sides confirmed.

Air Canada had been gradually winding down operations ahead of the possible labour action.

As at 8pm on Aug 15, the airline said it had cancelled 623 flights, affecting more than 100,000 passengers. Its full 700-flight daily schedule for Aug 16 was scrapped.

Unpaid ground work

In addition to wage increases, the union says it wants to address uncompensated ground work, including during the boarding process.

Professor Rafael Gomez, who heads the University of Toronto’s Centre for Industrial Relations, told AFP it is “common practice, even around the world” to compensate flight attendants based on time spent in the air.

He said the union had built an effective communication campaign around the issue, creating a public perception of unfairness.

An average passenger not familiar with common industry practice could think: I’m waiting to board the plane and there’s a flight attendant helping me, but they’re technically not being paid for that work, he said, speaking before the strike began.

“That’s a very good issue to highlight,” Prof Gomez said, adding that gains made by Air Canada employees could impact other carriers.

Air Canada detailed its latest offer in an Aug 14 statement, specifying that under the terms, a senior flight attendant would, on average, make C$87,000 (S$80,700) by 2027.

Cupe has described Air Canada’s offers as “below inflation (and) below market value”.

The union has also rejected requests from the federal government and Air Canada to resolve outstanding issues through independent arbitration.

Prof Gomez said he did not expect any stoppage to last long.

“This is peak season,” he said.

“The airline does not want to lose hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue... They’re almost playing chicken with the flight attendants.”

Canada’s economy, though showing resilience, has begun feeling the effects of US President Donald Trump’s trade war, with his tariffs hitting crucial sectors like cars, aluminium and steel.

In a statement issued before the strike began, the Business Council of Canada warned that an Air Canada work stoppage could add further pain.

“At a time when Canada is dealing with unprecedented pressures on our critical economic supply chains, the disruption of national air passenger travel and cargo transport services would cause immediate and extensive harm to all Canadians,” it said. AFP