End of Air Canada Strikes? Flight Attendants Finalize Tentative Deal After Huge Disruptions

Air Canada’s unionized flight attendants have reached a tentative deal with the airline, their union announced on Tuesday.

“The strike has ended. We now have a tentative agreement to present to you,” the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) said in a Facebook post.

Air Canada, Union Reach Agreement on Pay Increase

The carrier had earlier offered a 38% increase in total compensation over four years, including a 25% raise in the first year. The union, however, said the offer did not go far enough. Flight attendants had also pushed for pay during tasks like boarding passengers, which are currently unpaid. At present, they are only paid when the plane is in motion.

CUPE, representing 10,400 flight attendants, aimed to secure gains beyond those recently achieved by U.S. counterparts at airlines such as American Airlines.

The deal is a relief for Air Canada, which had been forced to cancel hundreds of flights during the strike. The airline and its low-cost unit, Air Canada Rouge, normally fly about 130,000 passengers each day and operate the most flights to the U.S. among foreign carriers.

Air Canada Strike Resulted in Major Disturbances

Earlier, the strike centered on pay and working conditions. Air Canada, Canada’s largest airline, said it offered flight attendants a 38 percent increase in total compensation over four years, along with an “industry-leading” ground pay formula covering time before takeoff.

The union disputed these figures, and argued that the actual raise is closer to half that amount. It also criticized the airline for offering a smaller pay increase to its mostly female flight attendants compared with a 26 percent hike granted to its largely male pilot workforce last year.

On the first day of the strike, Air Canada cancelled approximately 700 flights, affecting an estimated 130,000 passengers. 

With Canada’s economy already under strain from Donald Trump’s trade tariffs, the strikes raised fears of broader disruptions. The Business Council of Canada had warned that a prolonged stoppage could cause “immediate and extensive harm” to both travelers and supply chains.

Also Read: Air Canada Flight Attendants’ Strike Grounds Hundreds of Flights, Leaving Passengers Stranded