Air Canada announced that it will begin gradually resuming operations today after reaching a mediated settlement with the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) under the oversight of mediator William Kaplan. As part of the agreement, the union committed to the immediate return of 10,000 flight attendants, enabling both Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge to restart services that have been suspended since August 16.
Air Canada CEO Michael Rousseau said, “The suspension of our services has been extremely difficult for our customers, and we sincerely apologize for the disruption it caused. Our top priority now is to get our customers moving again as quickly as possible. Restarting a major carrier like Air Canada is a complex task, and full restoration may take a week or more. We kindly ask for patience and understanding in the coming days as everyone at Air Canada is doing everything possible to get our passengers back on their way.”
The first flights are set to operate on the evening of August 19. However, due to aircraft and crews being out of position, the airline expects that it will take 7 to 10 days to fully stabilize its schedule. During this transition, some flights will continue to be cancelled.
The airline emphasized that only passengers with confirmed bookings for flights shown as operating should proceed to the airport. For cancelled flights, customers will be offered a full refund, a future travel credit, or the option to be rebooked on other airlines—though availability remains limited due to the peak summer season.
Air Canada stated that it will not comment further on the agreement until the ratification process is complete. The airline also highlighted that during ratification or binding arbitration, neither a strike nor a lockout is possible, ensuring that customers can plan, book, and travel with confidence.
