Fri Aug 15 21:24:10 UTC 2025: **Headline: Air Canada Braces for Flight Attendant Strike, Potential Travel Chaos Looms**

**Toronto, August 16, 2025** – Air Canada faces a looming shutdown as a strike by its 10,000 flight attendants, represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), threatens to disrupt summer travel for the airline’s 130,000 daily passengers. The union issued a 72-hour strike notice earlier this week, setting the stage for a potential work stoppage beginning at 12:01 am on Saturday.

CUPE is demanding wage increases and compensation for uncompensated ground work, particularly during the boarding process. Rafael Gomez, head of the University of Toronto’s Center for Industrial Relations, noted the union’s effective communication strategy, which has highlighted perceived unfairness in the compensation structure.

Air Canada detailed its latest offer, stating that senior flight attendants could earn an average of CAN$87,000 by 2027. However, CUPE has dismissed these offers as falling below inflation and market value.

The airline has already begun canceling select flights and plans to pause all operations by Saturday morning if a deal is not reached. Chief Operating Officer Mark Nasr confirmed the potential full shutdown to reporters.

Gomez characterizes the situation as a high-stakes game of brinkmanship. “This is peak season,” he said. “The airline does not want to lose hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue… They’re almost playing chicken with the flight attendants.” CUPE has rejected arbitration, raising the likelihood of a strike.

The standoff comes as Canadians were enjoying selections from The Hindu On Books, Science For All, Data Point, Health Matters, and Today’s Cache, when news broke regarding the Air Canada strike.

Read More