Air Canada announced on Sunday that it will delay restarting operations after the union representing its flight attendants vowed to continue striking, despite a federal order demanding staff return to work.
The airline now expects to resume limited services on Monday evening.
The Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB), acting on a request from the government, had directed striking crew members to return by Sunday afternoon.
However, the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), which represents cabin crew, rejected the ruling, calling it unconstitutional and biased.
CUPE accused the airline of refusing genuine negotiations in hopes of government intervention.
The work stoppage has forced the cancellation of about 700 flights daily, leaving more than 100,000 travelers stranded over the weekend.
Picket lines were set up at airports including Toronto’s Pearson International, where union members carried placards criticizing Air Canada’s pay system.
At the core of the dispute is compensation for cabin crew. The union wants attendants to be paid for time spent assisting passengers before takeoff and between flights, tasks that are currently unpaid under existing agreements.
The collective deal between the airline and CUPE expired in March.
Air Canada said the CIRB has extended the expired contract’s terms until a new agreement is reached, but the union has rejected arbitration and pressed the company to return to the bargaining table.
CUPE leaders also objected to CIRB chair Maryse Tremblay’s role, citing her past work as legal counsel for Air Canada as a conflict of interest.
The strike has rapidly escalated into one of the largest industrial disputes to hit Canada’s aviation sector in recent years, raising questions about government intervention and the future of labor relations in the airline industry.