Air Canada restoring full schedule by Friday after tentative deal with flight attendants

Air Canada says it expects to resume close to its full network schedule by Friday after reaching a tentative deal with its 10,000 flight attendants that ended a five-day strike.

Chief operations officer Mark Nasr said in a company statement the airline is restoring operations faster than anticipated thanks to staff efforts.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), which represents flight attendants, also issued a statement confirming that the agreement raises wages and introduces pay for time worked while aircraft are on the ground — a long-standing demand.

The strike disrupted flights nationwide, including dozens at Vancouver International Airport. Several Surrey travellers told Connect FM the delays caused financial and family stress. “We had to miss a cousin’s wedding in India and rebook at a much higher cost,” said one traveller.

Labour experts note that if ratified, the deal would set a precedent in Canada’s airline sector for ground duty compensation.

Sources: Air Canada press release, CUPE public statement, Connect FM interviews with Surrey travellers.