Air Canada flight attendants have ended their strike after reaching a tentative agreement with the airline, their union announced on Tuesday.
The walkout, which began just after midnight on Saturday, had disrupted travel for an estimated half a million passengers, forcing widespread cancellations.
The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), which represents roughly 10,000 flight attendants, said on Facebook that the agreement would be presented to members for approval. “The strike has ended. We have a tentative agreement we will bring forward to you,” the union said, adding that attendants were required to fully cooperate with the resumption of operations.
The strike continued through Monday despite a regulatory order to return to work, pushing Air Canada to scale back plans to restore some service. Negotiations resumed late that evening, leading to the breakthrough deal.
Air Canada confirmed it had reached a “mediated agreement” with CUPE and said flights would gradually restart from Tuesday evening. The airline cautioned that full service may take seven to 10 days to return.
“Restarting a major carrier like Air Canada is a complex undertaking,” said Michael Rousseau, the company’s president. “Full restoration may require a week or more, so we ask for our customers’ patience and understanding.”
