Air Canada is scaling back flights and warning it may ground its entire fleet by the weekend, as a looming flight attendant strike over stalled pay talks looms.
It comes following a 72-hour strike notice issued on Wednesday by the union that represents approximately 10,000 Air Canada flight attendants.
The strike is set to begin at about 1 am ET on Saturday after 99.7% of the airline’s employees represented by the union voted for a strike earlier this month.
In response, the airline promptly issued a lockout notice.
Disruption could affect around 170,000 passengers each day, Air Canada said, adding that travellers would be fully refunded for cancelled flights during the busy summer season.
Air Canada has been asked by the Standard if UK flights are affected.
The airline has said it has made arrangements with other Canadian and foreign carriers to provide alternative travel options where possible.
CEO Michael Rousseau said in a statement: “We regret the impact a disruption will have on our customers, our stakeholders and the communities we serve”.
The carrier offered a 38% increase in total compensation for flight attendants over four years, with a 25% raise in the first year.
However, the union said the offer was "below inflation, below market value, below minimum wage - and still leaves flight attendants unpaid for all hours of work".
Most airlines pay cabin crew only for time spent in flight, but flight attendants in North America are seeking pay for all hours worked, including boarding and waiting at airports before and between flights.
"While we remain available for discussions with CUPE, we have requested government-directed arbitration as we now view it as the only certain avenue to bring closure to bargaining," Air Canada said in a statement.
