Maritime travellers scramble to find flights as potential Air Canada work stoppage looms

Many Maritime travellers are looking for different flights as the possible Air Canada strike looms.

After a vacation to the East Coast, Mary-Jo Cairns and her family were scheduled to fly back home from Halifax to Toronto with Air Canada on Sunday.

But the possibility of a work stoppage made them change their plans and try to find a flight on Friday.

“They’re telling us our flight is at 5 and they’re also telling us there is no flight, that we’re going home Wednesday. So we will likely have to rent a car and drive back to Ontario to meet our commitments,” said Cairns.

More than 10,000 flight attendants with Air Canada could walk off the job Saturday afternoon.

That could be followed by a company-imposed lockout if the airline and its employees can’t reach a last-minute deal.

Around 500 flights scheduled for Friday were cancelled due to the potential work stoppage with a full stop a very real possibility for Saturday.

Halifax Stanfield International Airport spokesperson Tiffany Chase said they are encouraging anyone already booked with Air Canada to check the status of their flight before they come to the airport.

Chase said they were starting to see some cancellations on the flight board on Friday.

“Those are pre-planned cancellations or as a result of the ongoing negotiations between Air Canada and its unionized employees,” said Chase.

Chase said the airport is starting to see the phased shut down of the network that Air Canada has been talking about.

“We’re seeing cancellations on the board today, but by tomorrow if this strike goes ahead, we’ll see a full shutdown of Air Canada’s main line network which would involve any Air Canada or any Air Canada Rouge branded flight,” said Chase.

There was only one Air Canada flight cancelled at the Greater Moncton Roméo LeBlanc International Airport early Friday afternoon, but there could be more red on the big board Saturday.

Greater Moncton Roméo LeBlanc International Airport spokesperson Lauren Guitard said they are monitoring negotiations between Air Canada and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) very closely.

“Our priority is to keep passengers informed,” said Guitard in a statement. “For those booked to travel with Air Canada or Air Canada Rouge in the coming days, we recommend checking the airline’s website, monitoring notifications via email or text from the airline, and reviewing any direct communication for details on cancellations or rebooking options.”

Dave Flowers is the president and directing general chairperson of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers.

He was at the airport in Dieppe to talk to union members, including baggage handlers, maintenance and ground staff.

“Obviously, there’s some uncertainty. There’s a lot of confusion, but we’re here to assure them that things will be OK on their side and that we support CUPE and their fight for a good, fair collective agreement,” said Flowers.

Gary Jones flew with Air Canada from Whitehorse to Toronto to Moncton.

His flights were not cancelled, but they were delayed and his baggage didn’t make it to New Brunswick.

“I am frustrated, not with the employees of Air Canada. They’re doing their best with what their up against,” said Jones. “We were herded through three different gates last night in Toronto. If you don’t see a plane at a gate, you know there’s no plane.”

Cairns and her family were stuck waiting and hoping they could get a flight back home Friday before the potential work stoppage.

“We’re trying to assume the worst so that we’re not too disappointed,” said Cairns. “It is what it is.”

-With files from the Canadian Press