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Air Canada resumes flying after government orders cabin crew back to work
August 18th 2025
Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge were resuming flight operations overnight (Asia-Pacific time) after Canada’s government instructed the airline group and its cabin crew to settle their contract dispute at the negotiating table. Read More » Air Canada and Air Canada Rough shut down operations last weekend, including all long-haul routes in the Asia-Pacific, in response to Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) members walking off the job in an attempt to break a deadlock in contract negotiations with the flag carrier. "Restarting of operations will begin immediately, with first flights this evening, but Air Canada expects it will take several days before its operations return to normal," the airline said on August 17. "Air Canada deeply regrets the inconvenience for its customers." CUPE criticized the Canadian government for sending the parties to binding arbitration. "This is absolutely shameful and a blatant betrayal," CUPE national secretary and treasurer, Candace Rennick, said. "The government’s decision to intervene on behalf of an already wildly profitable employer while a predominantly female workforce fights tooth and nail for a path out of poverty, is not just unjust, it is a disgraceful misuse of power that reeks of systemic bias and corporate favouritism."
