Air Canada: Strike causes cancellation of hundreds of flights, affecting French people

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Seven hundred Air Canada flights were canceled yesterday, and more are expected today. A flight attendant strike is disrupting the travel of hundreds of thousands of travelers. Among them are French people who find themselves stranded in Montreal, for example, like Judith Flageul. " I arrived in Montreal two weeks ago to visit my sister. I received an email on August 14 saying that there would potentially be an impact on my flight due to the fact that they have been gradually canceling hundreds of flights ," she says.

And it didn't fail to happen. The plane that was supposed to take her back to Paris was grounded. " I have to go to France. I'm working from Monday, and I can't afford not to go to work right now ," she explains.

Air Canada refunded her return flight, but she still had to pay an additional €500 to buy a new ticket. Bitter passengers like this American woman, who discovered her flight had been canceled at Los Angeles airport. " I understand. I support the strikers in general. But why do we have to suffer the consequences? I really try to be understanding. But it's a little frustrating ," she says.

At the center of the strike are the airline's flight attendants. They are demanding wage increases and payment for their ground work hours, which has not been the case until now. " We are terribly saddened for our passengers. No one wants to see them stranded or worried about their travel. But we cannot work for free ," said Natasha Stea, a representative of Air Canada's flight attendants.

Following the intervention of the Canadian government, the company has just announced the gradual resumption of air traffic.