Air Canada Cancels Another 700+ Flights as Union Defies Back-to-Work Order

Travelers hoping for a quick resolution to the Air Canada strike saw their hopes dashed Saturday, as the standoff between the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) and Canada’s largest airline continued.

The latest development came Sunday, when the union defied a government-ordered return to work that had required flight attendants to be back by 2 p.m. ET. Air Canada, which had planned to resume limited flights on both Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge, suspended that plan following the union’s defiance.

On Saturday, the Canadian Industrial Relations Board had agreed to force arbitration between the two sides. However, CUPE defied the order, writing in a statement Sunday that the “government caves to corporate pressure.” It said it would remain on strike and that Air Canada was welcome to “negotiate a fair deal.”

Now, the airline says it plans to resume some flights beginning Monday evening. However, those plans could change quickly depending on negotiations and whether CUPE ends its defiance of the order.

The ongoing cancellations mean another 700 flights have been added to the total canceled by the strike. That comes after more than 700 flights were axed on Saturday, the first official day of the strike, following about 400 cancellations on Friday in the lead-up to the strike that began at 1 a.m. ET Saturday.

Cancellations on Monday are expected to number in the hundreds as well, and could continue to pile up even if Air Canada gets its wish and CUPE abides by the government order. As of 2 p.m. ET, about 30 flights have been cut from Monday’s schedule between the two airlines, according to FlightAware.