Agencies Toronto

Air Canada suspended all operations on Saturday after over 10,000 flight attendants walked off the job when a deadline to reach a deal with the airline passed. The Canadian Union of Public Employees spokesman, Hugh Pouliot, confirmed the strike began early on Saturday, and the airline announced shortly after it would halt flights. Canada’s largest airline has already cancelled over 620 flights, leaving travellers around the world stranded and scrambling during the peak summer travel season.

The contract dispute escalated on Friday when the union rejected the airline’s request to enter into government-directed arbitration, which would have removed the union’s right to strike and handed the dispute to a third-party mediator. Flight attendants walked off the job at 1am on Saturday, and Air Canada responded by locking them out of airports. The shutdown is expected to hit 130,000 passengers each day, with 25,000 Canadians potentially stranded abroad. 

Air Canada operates 700 flights daily, and officials said it could take up to a week to fully restart operations once a tentative deal is reached. Passengers whose plans are disrupted can request full refunds through the airline’s website or app, while alternative travel options may be arranged on other airlines, though Air Canada warned rebookings are difficult given the summer travel peak.