Air Canada: Mega-strike cancels 700 flights this weekend!

Air Canada: Mega-strike cancels 700 flights this weekend!

A massive strike at Air Canada caused chaos in aviation on Saturday. Around 10,000 flight attendants stopped work on Saturday night, which resulted in the cancellation of all around 700 planned flights. As a result, travelers were told not to come to the airport, resulting in an unusually empty Pearson International Airport in Toronto. Canada's largest airline regrets the impact of the strike on its customers and said it will refund airline tickets and develop a return process.

Air Canada, which carries around 130,000 passengers daily and offers direct connections to 180 cities worldwide, has been the key to many travelers' destinations. The situation was further aggravated by the fact that the subsidiary Air Canada Express was not affected by the strike. This led to a spontaneous relocation of passengers, who now had to seek other options to maintain their travel plans.

Background to the strike

The background to this massive work stoppage lies in the demands of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), which is demanding higher wages for its members. Their latest offer was rejected as “below inflation and market conditions.” In a move to de-escalate, Labor Minister Patty Hajdu ordered mandatory arbitration, the decision of which must now be made by the Canada Industrial Relations Board. However, the minister warned that it could take days for Air Canada to return to normal flight operations.

In addition to the desired wage increase, the union is demanding that flight crews also be paid for tasks they perform on the ground, such as scanning boarding passes. The discussion about working conditions and pay clearly shows that there is significant potential for problems here, which not only affects the employees affected, but also the customers.

A look at aviation

Aviation is much more than just what is visible. It is closely linked to the quality of air, which is essential for many life forms, including us humans. Did you know that air is an invisible mixture of gases that surrounds the planet? In addition to oxygen and nitrogen, which together make up about 99 percent, carbon dioxide is also important, although it only makes up a fraction of the air. These gases are not only important for survival, but also play a central role in global warming and air quality. Airplanes use compressed air to provide oxygen to passengers during flights, and reduced air quality can be harmful to both aircraft and passengers.

Interestingly, the air we breathe also shows changes depending on the altitude in the atmosphere. Mountaineers often have to take oxygen canisters with them in order to be adequately supplied at high altitudes. In this respect, air is a complex issue that is of great importance for aviation and human health. Knowledge of these connections is essential, not only for travelers, but also for those who work in aviation and feel the effects of their catastrophic working conditions.

Developments in aviation are important and exciting, but it remains to be seen how this strike will impact the future of Air Canada and the industry as a whole.