Air Canada has issued a lockout notice in the wake of stalled contract negotiations with flight attendants. Over the next three days, the airline will begin cancelling Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge flights and notifying customers of the changes. PAL and Air Canada Express flights will not be effected at this time.
The airline states that the lockout is so that it can conduct an orderly shutdown of operations in response to the strike notice issued by the CUPE, the union that represents the flight attendants.
“We regret the impact a disruption will have on our customers, our stakeholders and the communities we serve,” says Michael Rousseau, President and Chief Executive of Air Canada. “However, the disappointing conduct of CUPE’s negotiators and the union’s stated intention to launch a strike puts us in a position where our only responsible course of action is to provide certainty by implementing an orderly suspension of Air Canada’s and Air Canada Rouge’s operations through a lockout. As we have seen elsewhere in our industry with other labour disruptions, unplanned or uncontrolled shutdowns, such as we are now at risk of through a strike, can create chaos for travellers that is far, far worse,”
The airline has also sought government-directed arbitration in order to speed the job action and impact to customers.
Related: Air Canada Flight Attendant Strike Looms as Talks with CUPE Collapse
Information for Customers from Air Canada
Customers whose flights are cancelled will be notified and they will be eligible for a full refund, which can be obtained online at www.aircanada.com or through the Air Canada mobile app. The company has made arrangements with other Canadian and foreign carriers to provide customers alternative travel options to the extent possible. Customers will be notified of alternative travel options that are identified for them. However, given other carriers are already very full due to the summer travel peak, securing such capacity will take time and, in many cases, will not be immediately possible.
Air Canada has undertaken other measures to mitigate the impact on customers. This includes implementing a flexible rebooking policy for all customers, so they can change or defer travel at no additional cost. Air Canada will in all cases inform passengers of their rights under applicable rules if their flight is cancelled or delayed and meet its regulatory obligations.
Air Canada strongly recommends against customers going to the airport unless they have a confirmed booking and their flights are showing as operating (check your flight’s status on www.aircanada.com or on our mobile app before going to the airport). Customers are also advised to use self-service tools as contact centre wait times are expected to be highly elevated.
Additional customer information, including an FAQ, is available www.aircanada.com/action
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