Air Canada announced it will restart flights on Sunday following a government intervention that ended a strike by flight attendants. The Canadian government mandated the airline and its striking workers to return to work and enter arbitration. The strike had left over 100,000 travelers stranded globally during the busy summer travel season.

The airline stated that flights will begin resuming Sunday evening, but it may take several days for operations to stabilize. Air Canada warned that some flights will be canceled over the next week to ten days as the schedule is adjusted.

The strike began early Saturday when more than 10,000 flight attendants walked off the job due to disputes over pay and scheduling. This action led to the suspension of around 700 daily flights, affecting approximately 130,000 passengers each day. By Saturday afternoon, Air Canada had canceled 671 flights, with an additional 96 flights already suspended for Sunday.

Federal Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu intervened less than 12 hours after the strike began, ordering the flight attendants back to work. She emphasized the need to protect the economy, especially in light of the unprecedented tariffs imposed by the U.S. on Canada. Hajdu referred the situation to the Canada Industrial Relations Board, which has extended the existing collective agreement until a new one is negotiated through arbitration.

Air Canada expressed regret for the inconvenience caused to its customers. Passengers affected by the cancellations can request full refunds through the airline's website or mobile app. The airline is also exploring alternative travel options with other carriers, although it cautioned that immediate rebooking may not be possible due to high demand during the summer travel peak.

Negotiations between Air Canada and the Canadian Union of Public Employees have been ongoing for about eight months, but both sides remain far apart on key issues, particularly regarding pay and unpaid work performed by flight attendants. Air Canada's latest proposal included a 38% increase in total compensation over four years, which the airline claimed would make its flight attendants the highest paid in Canada. However, the union argued that the initial 8% raise proposed for the first year was insufficient given current inflation rates.