Air Canada faces a critical deadline as more than 10,000 flight attendants prepare to strike at 1 a.m. ET on Saturday, with a company lockout set to follow if no last-minute agreement is reached. The looming labour disruption could bring all Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge flights to a halt.
In anticipation of the possible work stoppage, the airline has already begun preemptively cancelling around 500 flights scheduled for today. Customers are being notified via email and text, and are urged not to head to the airport unless they have a confirmed booking and their flight is still operating.
The flight attendants, represented by the Air Canada component of CUPE, say they remain willing to negotiate to avoid a shutdown. However, Air Canada has formally asked the federal government to step in and direct both sides into binding arbitration, underscoring the urgency of the situation.