‘Did not sleep’: YYC passengers brace for potential Air Canada flight cancellations

Many passengers at Calgary International Airport are bracing to alter or cancel their travel plans as an Air Canada flight attendant strike looms.

Passengers at Calgary International Airport are preparing for potential travel distribution as a strike looms between Air Canada and union representing its flight attendants.

Markus Klepp from Germany changed his family’s flight from Calgary to Victoria to depart on Friday instead of Saturday.

“Everything is booked, the car rental, the apartments, everything is booked and as we know maybe there is nothing (in terms of flights) on Saturday,” said Klepp. “We thought (the answer was) maybe going earlier -- and that means then one day we don’t know where to sleep.”

No flights out of Calgary have been cancelled as of 1:00 p.m. Thursday but just the possibility has Klepp feeling anxious.

“I did not sleep (last) night because I was wondering how we can go on,” said Klepp.

On Thursday, Air Canada abruptly ended its press conference after a lineup of union members entered the room and held signs reading “unpaid work won’t fly” and “UnfAir Canada,” among other statements.

Before the news conference ended, the airline revealed details on its plans to ground all flights by Saturday if a deal with the union isn’t reached.

“As part of our orderly and safe wind-down of operations, we have begun enacting flight cancellations for flights departing today. While Calgary flights are not yet impacted today, customers who are in Calgary and booked on a flight which has been impacted will receive notice of a change to their flight status,” Air Canada said in an emailed statement.

Some long-haul flights due to depart Thursday night have already been cancelled. Air Canada plans to cancel 500 trips Friday in a step towards a potential total stoppage Saturday morning.

What remains unclear is which flights.

“We’re looking at potential distributions,” said John Gradek, an aviation expert from McGill University.

He explained that long haul international flights will be the first to be cancelled since the aircraft will not be back in Canada by Saturday morning.

“Whatever Air Canada is doing is canceling long haul flights that have don’t have the return flight, bringing the aircraft home by tomorrow night,” said Gradek.

The union issued a notice earlier this week to strike just before 1 a.m. EDT on Saturday. The airline also plans to lock those workers out.

Calgary Chamber weighs in

In a release, the Calgary Chamber of Commerce spoke out on the ongoing feud, “urging immediate action to resolve Air Canada labour disruption.”

The Chamber called air transportation a critical service that supports Canada’s economy.

“As a trading nation, Canada needs predictable and reliable access to air transportation, nationally and internationally. A labour disruption for Air Canada means delays, increased costs and a decline in Canada’s reliability as a trading partner.”

The Chamber also pointed to the increase costs of flights during a cost of living crisis.

“A strike will impact businesses across sectors and sizes and cause economic dislocation at a time when our international trade situation is tenuous,” the release said.

The release ended with the Chamber calling for both parties to get back to the bargaining table and if a deal cannot be reached, recommending that the federal government intervene.

“We urge the federal government and all parties to continue to put the best interests of our country’s businesses, workers and communities at the forefront, minimizing the economic impact,” they said.

Will tickets be rescheduled?

Air Canada says it’s actively rescheduling tickets with other airlines, including competitors.

But, it’s peak travel season, chief operations officer Mark Nasr explained, and the airline’s capacity to rebook “will be very limited.”

“Please do not come to the airport unless you have a confirmed flight,” he said.

Air Canada will offer impacted customers a full refund or a new ticket for a later date at no additional cost.