Air Canada strike: Dubai - Toronto flight cancelled, other routes impacted

Dubai: Air Canada flight AC057 from Dubai to Toronto, scheduled to depart on Saturday, August 16, has been cancelled. According to Dubai Airports’ flight status data, the flight was meant to depart at 1.25 pm. The daily flight to Toronto was slightly delayed on Friday, departing at 1:39 pm instead of the scheduled 1:25 pm.

The carrier’s 10,000 flight attendants are gearing up to strike just before 1 am EDT (9 am UAE time) on Saturday over stalled contract talks on union demands for higher wages and compensation for unpaid work.

In a statement, the airline apologised for the inconvenience. “We are very sorry, this flight is cancelled because a labour disruption is impacting our operations.” It said, “Labour disruptions are outside our control and may affect flight schedules before, during, and after periods of work stoppage or slowdown.”

However, Air Canada connecting flights from Dubai to Toronto, flying via Frankfurt and Zurich, are operating as scheduled. Similarly, no disruptions have been reported on connecting flights from Dubai to Vancouver.

A Reuters report from Friday afternoon confirmed that Air Canada and its unionised flight attendants remained at odds on Friday, despite government pleas for both sides to return to bargaining to avert a strike that would upend travel for tens of thousands of passengers.

Canada’s largest carrier has announced that it expects to cancel 500 flights by the end of the day, ahead of the planned Saturday strike, leaving approximately 100,000 passengers scrambling for alternative arrangements.

Air Canada, which has also given notice that it will lock out its flight attendants, has ceased negotiating, said the Canadian Union of Public Employees, which represents the cabin crew. Canadian Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu has repeatedly urged both parties to negotiate.

Air Canada had suspended flights to the UAE in June this year as a precautionary measure, amid the ongoing security situation in the Middle East. The airline had suspended its daily, non-stop service between Toronto and Dubai as of June 18. The suspension was in effect up to and including August 3.

Air Canada has had a presence in Dubai for some time, with flights operating to Toronto and Vancouver. As part of a strategic partnership with Emirates, Air Canada moved its operations to Dubai International’s (DXB) Terminal 3 on July 26, 2023.