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| Flights resume, chaos eases, delays still expected. |
The government asked the Canada Industrial Relations Board to force flight attendants back to work and to send the dispute into binding arbitration. That step ended the first cabin crew strike at Air Canada in decades.
Thousands of attendants had walked off, and the airline halted most operations quickly. The stoppage left hundreds of planes idle and tens of thousands of passengers without flights.
Air Canada said it would resume flights Sunday evening and aim to ramp up service over several days, while warning cancellations could persist as schedules recover.
Passengers faced a chaotic few days at major airports, with long lines at customer service desks and frantic searches for rebooked seats on other airlines. The rush exposed how fragile peak-season travel can be.
The dispute centered on pay for time spent on the ground between flights and over boarding duties, a point that the union said was a core fairness issue. Talks stalled after months of negotiation.
The government framed its move around wider economic risk, saying a large strike during the busiest travel window could cause major harm to travelers and the economy. The minister asked the board to act quickly.
In practice, the order meant flight attendants were to return to work by a set deadline, and the expired contract would remain in place until an arbitrator issues a final settlement. The union opposed binding arbitration but had to comply.
Air Canada warned that service would not snap back instantly. Restoring a large schedule takes crew reassignments, aircraft checks, airport slots, and new flight crews where needed. The airline said normal service could take a week or more.
Travel agents and airports scrambled to help customers. Many promised refunds, rebookings, and hotel help where overnight delays were unavoidable. Still, passengers on tight plans faced disruption they could not easily fix.
Industry analysts said governments seldom use forced arbitration, because it reduces unions’ bargaining power and can change future negotiation dynamics across the sector. That historical point matters for other carriers and unions watching closely.
The union described its demands as fair pay for on-the-job time that often goes unpaid under current rules. It said the airline’s offer fell short when adjusted for rising costs and longer work days. The union urged a fair process in arbitration.
Air Canada described the government action as necessary to protect public travel plans and to bring stability. Company officials said they supported arbitration as a path to a binding outcome that returns people to work.
The timing was bad for peak summer travel. Airlines book close to full capacity on major routes, and alternative seats on other carriers are often scarce, leaving many travelers with few quick options. The timing amplified the impact nationwide.
Airport staff, volunteers, and customer service teams worked long shifts to rebook affected passengers. Those human efforts kept people moving where possible, but plans for some trips simply fell apart. Stories of missed weddings, urgent work trips, and holiday plans filled social feeds.
The CIRB’s move is meant to buy time and force a final decision through a neutral arbitrator. That process will look at both sides’ claims and issue terms that bind both the airline and the attendants. The result will shape pay and work rules for years.
Executives and union leaders now shift focus to the arbitrator’s timeline, the evidence each side will present, and the practical steps to restore full service. Both sides will also watch public sentiment, which tends to shape political pressure in these fights.
For passengers, the immediate advice is simple: check flight status directly with the airline, look for refund options, and keep travel documents ready. Those who can be flexible might find later flights or alternate routings, though not without some hassle.
Travel insurers and credit-card firms may get busy handling claims for missed connections and added hotel costs. Travelers should keep receipts and screenshots of cancellations for any claims they plan to file. The paperwork will matter.
This dispute also raises a broader issue about how pay rules treat time spent on the ground. If arbitration changes that formula, it could alter how airlines budget for labor and how unions frame future demands. The sector will watch the outcome closely.
In short, flights resume after a decisive government step, but recovery will take real time and patience from travelers, airports, and the airline. The arbitration ahead will settle the core conflict, for better or worse.