Air Canada Strike Leaves Travellers Stranded Despite New Deal

A Canadian traveller remains stranded in China after her return flight was cancelled amid the ongoing strike by Air Canada flight attendants, despite a tentative deal reached between the airline and its union. Bonnie Guan, a producer with Breakfast Television, was scheduled to return to Canada but found her flight cancelled due to the labour dispute. Speaking to CityNews, Guan expressed her frustration and uncertainty about when she will return home, stating that she has received little clarity from the airline.

“I should be in the air flying right now to Vancouver and then back to Toronto, but clearly, that did not happen. It’s been frustrating but unsurprising, given everything that’s happened,” Guan said. She added that even with news of the tentative agreement, she has yet to receive confirmation of a rescheduled flight. “It’s going to take several days for anything to get back to normal.”

Another traveller, Maxime Vidal, faced similar issues. His family was supposed to fly to Paris from Toronto Pearson International Airport on August 19, 2025, but their flight was also cancelled, and they have not received updates on rebooking. The delays have forced them to incur additional costs for hotel stays, and they remain uncertain about how long they will be stranded in Toronto.

Air Canada acknowledged that the first flights are tentatively scheduled for the evening of August 19. However, the airline cautioned that restoring full service might take between seven to ten days, as aircraft and crew are out of position.

As the strike continues, travellers like Guan are left in limbo while the airline strives to rebook affected passengers. “If I were to try to return home myself this week on a new booking with a new airline, it would be over $15,000 for me, my husband, and my two young kids,” Guan explained. “It gets cheaper in September, but it’s pushing it. I have had to cancel appointments, sell tickets for a concert I was going to this weekend, and my son is going to miss his first week of school.”

The strike commenced early on Saturday when flight attendants rejected the airline’s request to enter into government-directed arbitration. The union, representing over 10,000 flight attendants, has been advocating for improved wages and working conditions. Since the strike began, Air Canada estimated that approximately 500,000 customers have had their flights cancelled.

Passengers are advised to monitor updates from Air Canada and seek alternative travel arrangements whenever possible. Despite the challenges, Guan noted, “I am lucky that I have family here that I can stay with in different places.”

The situation remains fluid as travellers wait for news while Air Canada aims to resume regular operations.