Air Canada says flights could take over a week to return to normal after reaching a tentative deal with its flight attendants who walked off the job over the weekend.
On Tuesday morning, Air Canada announced it would gradually resume operations today after the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) agreed on a tentative deal, which requires flight attendants to go back to work immediately.
“The suspension of our service is extremely difficult for our customers. We deeply regret and apologize for the impact on them of this labour disruption. Our priority now is to get them moving as quickly as possible,” President and CEO of Air Canada Michael Rousseau said in a statement.
Although some flights are going to resume today, the airline says it might take from seven to 10 days to completely restore normal operations, as planes and crews are still “out of position.”
Some of Air Canada’s afternoon and evening flights today appear to be scheduled to leave on time from Toronto’s Pearson Airport, but there are still several cancellations or postponements listed. Customers are now being asked to double check their flights on aircanada.com or the airline’s mobile app before heading to the airport over the next week.
“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,” Rousseau added.
The airline is still offering accommodations for impacted travellers, including full refunds, credit for future trips, and even rebooking flights with different carriers.
Nearly 500,000 customers across the country and abroad have had their flights cancelled or delayed after flight attendants officially walked off the job on Saturday.
The strike comes after CUPE, which represents 10,000 Air Canada and Rouge flight attendants, revealed workers’ pleas for increased wages, pay for their whole time on the job and improved work rules.
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As the agreement is still in process of being ratified, neither Air Canada nor CUPE have commented on its details. However, the airline highlights it is now safe for customers to plan trips, as strikes and lockouts are not permitted while the ratification process is undergoing.
Meanwhile, CUPE said the agreement comes “after a historic fight” for their rights, and guarantees that flight attendants will no longer be required to work free hours.
“Unpaid work is over. We have reclaimed our voice and our power,” the union said in a statement on Tuesday. “When our rights were taken away, we stood strong, we fought back — and we secured a tentative agreement that our members can vote on.”
