Air Canada To Resume Flying

Air Canada has confirmed the recommencement of gradual flying after a lengthy suspension of flying.

The flag-carrier says that it has reached a mediated agreement with the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), which has been supporting the employees on strike.

William Kaplen oversaw the mediation process and saw the mutually agreed discussions on the basis that the union commit to having the flight attendants immediately return to work.

The immediate return to work allows for the resumption of Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge operations, which have been grounded since August 16. This marks a lengthy spell on the sidelines for the business.

Restarting a major carrier like Air Canada is a complex undertaking. Full restoration may require a week or more, so we ask for our customers’ patience and understanding over the coming days. I assure them that everyone at Air Canada is doing everything possible to enable them to travel soon.

Michael Rousseau, President and Chief Executive Officer of Air Canada.

The flights are scheduled to resume on the evening of August 19, allowing for the whole day to begin preparations to make this take place, but it will not be a full return.

Instead, Air Canada says that customers should be advised that the return to regular operations will take seven to ten days, and this is due to the out-of-position nature of both the aircraft required to fly and the crew who will be positioned on these jets.

Some flights, therefore, may be cancelled and/or significantly delayed. This is as a result of the airline trying to find ways to stabilise its day-to-day flying as it slowly builds its schedule back up.

Air Canada once more advises customers to head to the airport only if their flight is going ahead and is not cancelled; for those impacted, alternative options will be offered where possible.

The flag-carrier lastly stated that it will not be commenting on the agreement with its workers until the ratification process is complete.

During any ratification or under the binding arbitration process, a strike or lockout is not possible, meaning customers can plan, book and travel with Air Canada with certainty.

What Has Been Happening At Air Canada?

Air Canada flights have been grounded across the mainline and Rouge branding in recent days because of strike action initiated by 10,000 flight attendants.

As expected, like strike action which has occurred across many other airlines in recent years, the primary points of complaint include the low wages which haven’t increased at the rates required, unpaid work, pensions, working conditions and more.

The union has previously rejected other contract proposals put forward by the airline, and this has led to frustrations internally, and a vote from employees that saw a unanimous 99% of flight attendants voting in favour of a strike mandate, highlighting their dissastification at the situation.

Often viewed as a last resort, the walkout by employees is a last-ditch attempt to secure better terms and inflict damage on the business to get executives to come to the board and agree to something mutually beneficial.

Only yesterday, a 38% boost in compensation for the striking flight attendants was offered, but the CEO says there is still a big gap. The union did not provide an immediate path that would return them to the negotiations, according to Reuters.

The union is seeking more than 40%; therefore, Air Canada feels it needs to find a path to bridge the gap. The airline is still open to holding conversations with parties to try to rectify the ongoing strike action.