Air Canada announced a phased departure in offering certain flights after receiving 72-hour strike notice from the union representing the former Crown Corporation’s flight attendants.
The airline is set to begin cancelling flights because it was unable to secure a deal with the union representing flight attendants for medium and long haul flights. Over the next 72 hours, Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge flights will gradually be cancelled.
“Customers whose flights are cancelled will be notified and can obtain a full refund,” wrote Air Canada in their announcement of the organization’s decision to issue a lockout notice.
These cancellations will not impact any of the flights leaving Fort St John’s North Peace Regional Airport, where Air Canada only offers express routes. The organization said the flight attendants on their express flights work for Jazz Aviation or PAL Airlines – both companies operate express flights under the Air Canada brand, but are responsible for their own employees.
Jazz Aviation has flown alongside the brand, on an on-and-off basis, since their launch as Air Canada Jazz in 2002, but PAL Airlines are a newer partner, the first flight in this partnership took off in July 2023 from Halifax.
Passengers who depart from the North Peace Regional Airport on Air Canada Express flights can fly one of two destinations, Vancouver International Airport or Calgary International Airport.
Both airports offer international and longer flights, which may be impacted by the company’s cancellations, if the flights are operated by Air Canada or Air Canada Rogue. The company’s cross-country connecting flights from those airports to Toronto’s Pearson International Airport or Montreal’s Pierre Elliot Trudeau Airport may be impacted by the suspensions.
Flights from Calgary to the Edmonton International Airport are operated by the airline’s express branch and will continue as planned – however, passengers heading to Edmonton from Vancouver may experience cancellations.
