Air Canada says it will introduce an “exceptional policy” to cover transportation expenses incurred by passengers while they worked to reach their destinations during the recent strike. The airline plans to release full details of the compensation plan on Wednesday, describing it as part of efforts to rebuild customer confidence following days of disruption.
The company resumed flights Tuesday afternoon after a complete shutdown of Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge operations that began early Saturday morning when flight attendants walked off the job. By the end of its first day back in operation, 155 flights across North America, Europe, Asia, and the South Pacific were scheduled to depart, with a focus on restoring international routes first. More North American flights are expected to resume on Wednesday.
Air Canada has warned that a full return to regular service could take up to 10 days as aircraft and crew remain out of position. Additional delays are expected due to mandatory maintenance checks on planes grounded during the strike. “Regrettably, during this period some flights will be cancelled until the schedule is stabilized, and we’ll notify customers well in advance and provide options,” said Mark Nasr, Air Canada’s executive vice-president and chief operations officer.
Nasr acknowledged that the work stoppage has damaged customer trust and emphasized that restoring it is a top priority. He noted that an online dashboard has been launched to give travelers real-time updates on the airline’s progress. As of Tuesday, 61 per cent of domestic flights, 72 per cent of transborder flights, and 35 per cent of international routes were expected to operate within 24 hours.
Contact centre wait times remain lengthy, averaging more than 2.5 hours. Passengers whose flights are cancelled will be offered either a full refund or credit for future travel if they cannot be rebooked on a competitor’s airline.
The strike ended Tuesday morning when Air Canada and the Canadian Union of Public Employees, representing more than 10,000 flight attendants, reached a tentative agreement with the assistance of a federal mediator. The airline says its immediate focus is to return to stability and welcome customers and staff back on board.