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Mar 20, 2020 2:05 PM -

Air Canada lays off more than 5,000 flight attendants amid COVID-19 pandemic

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An Air Canada jet takes off from Halifax Stanfield International Airport in Enfield, N.S. on Thursday, March 8, 2012. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan

A union official says Air Canada is laying off more than 5,000 flight attendants as the country's largest airline cuts routes and parks planes due to COVID-19.

Wesley Lesosky, who heads the Air Canada component of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), says Air Canada is laying off 3,600 mainline flight attendants as well as all of Air Canada Rouge's 1,549 flight attendants.

The layoffs are set to take effect by next month.

Air Canada announced Wednesday it will suspend the majority of its international and American flights by the end of the month.

Its stock has plummeted 76 per cent in two months and will be in focus when trading opens this morning.

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