Travelers are facing significant delays as Air Canada resumes flights following a three-day strike by flight attendants. Many passengers are still struggling to reach their destinations after experiencing travel chaos.

Noha Zaher and Ibraheem Sabry, along with their two children, have spent nearly 60 hours trying to return to Ottawa after their vacation. They were denied boarding twice in Cairo due to overbooked flights with two different airlines, a situation exacerbated by Air Canada’s cancellations. After finally arriving in Toronto, the family decided to take a bus to Ottawa. "We were, of course, frustrated," Zaher said. "I had work on Monday, so I missed two days of work after three weeks of vacation."

The couple is among thousands of passengers affected by the disruptions. Maxime Vidal was supposed to fly to Paris from Toronto but found his flight canceled. He expressed concern about the lack of communication from the airline regarding rebooking. "We have a life in France and we have to go back to work," he said. "It’s going to be complicated a little bit if we don’t have a flight for tomorrow."

Steve Marcotte, who was vacationing in Ontario with his family, also faced challenges. Their flight back to Newfoundland was canceled, prompting them to book last-minute flights to Halifax to visit his son. This change in plans will cost them thousands of dollars. "It’s very stressful," Marcotte said. "I want to go home."

Air Canada announced a tentative agreement with the Canadian Union of Public Employees early Tuesday morning. The airline plans to operate more than half of its scheduled flights by the end of the day. However, it warned that a full return to regular service could take seven to ten days as aircraft and crew are repositioned. Some flights will continue to be canceled until the schedule stabilizes.

The federal government intervened in the strike on Saturday, invoking Section 107 of the Canada Labour Code to mandate binding arbitration between Air Canada and the union. The Canada Industrial Relations Board ordered flight attendants to return to work on Sunday. Although union officials initially defied the order, they eventually reached a tentative agreement with the airline after negotiations through the night with a federal mediator.

The deal will be presented to over 10,000 members of the Air Canada component of CUPE for a vote. The union has stated that it must advise its members to "fully co-operate with resumption of operations."

Since the strike began, Air Canada estimated that approximately 500,000 customers had their flights canceled. The airline continues to advise passengers to check their flight status before heading to the airport.