Air Canada Flight Attendants Strike, Grounding All Flights, Thousands Stranded
Air Canada’s cabin crew have walked out, launching a nationwide strike that has grounded every single flight and thrown summer travel into turmoil.
The mass industrial action comes at the busiest time of year, causing widespread travel disruption and leaving passengers stranded across the country and beyond.
The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), which represents 10,000 cabin crew, confirmed the strike began just before 1 a.m. on Saturday.
“We are now officially on strike,” the union announced, marking the start of one of the biggest airline shutdowns in Canada’s aviation history.
Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge Flights Suspended due to a Strike By CUPE Flight Attendants : https://t.co/dj08XM4jJK
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Air Canada et Air Canada Rouge suspendent leurs vols en raison d’une grève des agents de bord représentés par le SCFP : https://t.co/E1O3qCnv87 pic.twitter.com/OHL1XWhfMs
— Air Canada (@AirCanada) August 16, 2025
Air Canada, which normally connects travellers to nearly 180 international and domestic destinations, was forced to suspend all operations.
The airline told passengers not to head to the airport, stressing that no services would be running. “Air Canada is strongly advising affected customers not to go to the airport,” the company said, adding its “deep regret for the effect the strike is having on customers.”
By Friday evening, more than 600 flights had already been cancelled, grounding around 100,000 passengers. On Saturday, the cancellations escalated to cover the entire schedule of 700 daily flights, leaving an estimated 130,000 people stranded each day.
Families on holiday, business travellers, and international tourists all faced chaos as tickets, connections, and hotel plans collapsed.
At the core of the dispute are demands for fair pay and recognition of unpaid duties on the ground, including boarding and assisting passengers.
Experts say flight attendants across the airline industry are typically only paid for time spent in the air, not while helping travellers on board at the gate.
Labour specialist Rafael Gomez explained: “An average passenger sees attendants working during boarding, but they’re technically not being paid for that time.”
The union has already rejected Air Canada’s most recent pay proposal, which would lift senior crew salaries to CAN$87,000 by 2027.
CUPE dismissed the offer as “below inflation and below market value.” The labour dispute highlights ongoing tensions within the aviation industry, where cost-cutting often clashes with staff demands for fair treatment.
The walkout comes at a difficult moment for Canada’s economy. Already under strain from U.S. tariffs on steel, aluminium, and vehicles, the nationwide airline strike has raised fears of knock-on effects for both passenger travel and cargo shipments.
The Business Council of Canada warned the shutdown could inflict “immediate and extensive harm” on supply chains and the wider travel industry.
Despite the severe disruption, analysts believe neither side can afford a drawn-out battle. “This is peak season,” said Gomez. “The airline does not want to lose hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue… They’re almost playing chicken with the flight attendants.”
For now, travellers remain stuck in airports, hotels, and terminals, as the Air Canada flight attendants strike continues to paralyse the skies and intensify pressure on the airline to resolve the labour standoff.
