Air Canada freighters will continue to fly during work stoppage

Air Canada freighter operations are expected to continue mostly as usual though the carrier has been winding down passenger and belly cargo operations for the past three days in preparation for a strike and lockout that begins Aug. 16 shortly after midnight ET. Negotiations between the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), which represents more than 10,000 flight attendants at Air Canada and low-cost affiliate Air Canada Rouge, and Air Canada halted Aug. 11. [caption id="attachment_57290456" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] (Courtesy/Air Canada Cargo)[/caption] CUPE announced Aug. 13 that it would begin striking on Aug. 16 and, shortly afterward, Air Canada announced it would initiate a lockout that same day. While all Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge passenger flights will be canceled for an indeterminate amount of time, Air Canada’s freighters will remain operational, and Air Canada Express flights operated by regional partners also will stay in the air. Air Canada Cargo fleet Air Canada operates six 767-300BDSFs. The carrier added its eighth 767F (30851) in April 2024 after conversion with IAI in Tel Aviv (TLV). However, in Q2 2024, Air Canada removed its two production 767-300Fs (67024 and 67023) from service and, as Cargo Facts reported in December, has leased them to Ethiopian Airlines . Effect on cargo Air Canada Cargo has stopped accepting bookings for nearly all specialty cargo, but will allow temperature-controlled cargo bookings to and from: Amsterdam (AMS); Barcelona (BCN); Brussels (BRU); Frankfurt (FRA); London (LHR); Madrid (MAD); Paris (CDG); and Existing freighter stations. “All shipments booked on a freighter flight or with a freighter connection can continue to move as scheduled, provided all legs have a confirmation,” Air Canada Cargo said in an Aug. 14 alert on its website. Air Canada Cargo’s fourteen-day booking window for general cargo and mail continues to apply. The carrier ranked at No. 35 on the Freight 50 list of top cargo carriers based on 2023 volumes, moving 2.1 billion cargo tonne kilometers. Repercussions The Canadian Chamber of Commerce has asked Air Canada and CUPE to return to the negotiating table and for the Canadian government to intervene if necessary. “Almost half of Canadian pharmaceuticals that are shipped by air travel on Air Canada,” David Pierce, vice president of government relations at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, said in an Aug. 12 statement. “Agriculture and perishable food products, and parts and machinery for small and medium-sized Canadian manufacturers will be impacted. “At a time when Canada is facing unprecedented economic challenges and trade uncertainty , a service disruption would interrupt air cargo connectivity, directly impacting Canadian businesses that are working to diversify their customers in provinces across the country,” he said. “The impact on business will be felt internationally too, and would lead to losses for Canadian exporters, further compounding the impacts on industries throughout our economy.” Negotiations break down CUPE seeks pay for all hours worked, including boarding and ground time, among other compensation. Flight attendants at most airlines, including Air Canada, only receive pay for time in the air. In 2022, Delta Air Lines began paying flight attendants for boarding time with half of their hourly rate. Air Canada offered to compensate some of that time at half the regular hourly rate, but the union rejected the offer. The carrier’s most recent offer would have increased total compensation by 38% over four years for CUPE members, according to Air Canada. CUPE said the offer actually translates to a 17.2% wage increase. Air Canada’s latest offer “is below inflation, below market value, below minimum wage and still leaves flight attendants unpaid for all hours of work,” CUPE Airline Division President Wesley Lesosky said in an Aug. 12 statement. Air Canada proposed third-party arbitration, which CUPE declined. Cargo Facts Symposium, the quintessential event for stakeholders and key leaders in the global freighter and air cargo industries, will take place Oct. 22-24 at the Grand Hyatt in Nashville . Learn more and register today to take advantage of the early-bird rate before Sept. 5.

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