Air Canada Restarts 155 Flights Following Union Pay Deal

Air Canada has announced plans to operate 155 flights from its key hubs in Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver to various destinations throughout North America, Europe, Asia, and the South Pacific. This decision follows the resolution of a four-day strike by flight attendants, allowing the airline to resume operations.

In a recent statement, Air Canada confirmed the restart of some international flights, with initial departures including AC009 heading from Toronto to Tokyo-Narita, AC556 from Vancouver to Los Angeles, and AC489 from Montreal to Toronto, which resumed on August 19, 2025.

The airline expressed its commitment to gradually enhance its flight offerings from major Canadian cities as it seeks to restore services both domestically and internationally in the coming days. Mark Nasr, Executive Vice President and COO at Air Canada, acknowledged the challenges faced and emphasized their efforts to rebuild passenger trust.

Furthermore, from August 20, 2025, Air Canada will introduce an “exceptional policy” that aims to cover transportation costs incurred by passengers during the disruption. The airline has also launched a dashboard on its website, allowing travelers to monitor operational updates transparently.

A New Tentative Deal

Air Canada recently reached a mediated agreement with the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), which represents over 10,000 flight attendants, as of August 19, 2025.

Following the agreement, the union declared that “unpaid work is over,” although the members will still have to vote to ratify this deal. While specific details are yet to be fully disclosed, the CUPE shared limited information with CBC News, indicating that the tentative agreement includes provisions for a minimum of 60 minutes of ground pay before each flight, at 50% of the flight attendants’ hourly rate, with a yearly 5% wage increase.

Additionally, Air Canada proposes immediate pay increases, including a 12% raise for flight attendants with less than five years of service and an 8% increase for those with more experience. Salaries are also scheduled to increase by 3% in the second year, 2.5% in the third, and 2.75% in the fourth year.

Prime Minister Mark Carney expressed relief at the resolution, stating, “It is my hope that this will ensure flight attendants are compensated fairly at all times, while ending disruption for hundreds of thousands of Canadian families, workers, and visitors to Canada.”

Are you ready to travel again with Air Canada?