Air Canada Flight Crew Strike Ends After Tentative Deal Reached

Air Canada flight crew have ended their nearly four-day strike that grounded flights and stranded over 500,000 passengers since Saturday. A tentative agreement between the airline and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), which represents more than 10,000 flight attendants, was reached early Tuesday with the help of a government-appointed mediator.

Flights are set to resume later on Tuesday, though the airline warned it may take days to fully restore operations as planes and staff are out of position.

The details of the agreement have not been disclosed, but CUPE described it as a “historic fight” that brings “transformational change” for workers and the industry. “Unpaid work is over,” the union declared in a statement, urging members to fully cooperate with the resumption of operations. The deal will now be presented to members for ratification.

The dispute escalated when CUPE rejected an order from the Canadian Industrial Relations Board to end the strike, which had been deemed unlawful. The union also opposed a government directive to enter binding arbitration, accusing officials of yielding to corporate pressure.

Air Canada previously said it offered a 38% increase in total compensation over four years, including a 25% raise in the first year. CUPE argued the proposal remained below inflation and market value, while leaving flight attendants unpaid for certain tasks such as boarding and airport wait times.

Following the tentative deal, Canada’s Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu confirmed that her ministry will launch a probe into the issue of unpaid work in the airline sector.

Air Canada, the country’s largest carrier, operates around 700 flights daily across domestic and international routes. The airline said it will not comment further on the agreement until it has been ratified.