Thousands of passengers faced another day of travel disruptions Monday as Air Canada flight attendants continued to strike despite a return-to-work order from the Canada Industrial Relations Board.
Among them were John and Lois Alderman, who said Air Canada has told them they could be stranded in Toronto for another four to five days while they wait for a flight back home to Manchester, U.K.
"I'm a diabetic and I'm going to run out of insulin in about four days," John said at Pearson International Airport. "That's going to cause a problem."
The couple said they feel like "prisoners in the hotel" with their two teenage kids, hesitant to go sightseeing in case they get an email from the airline with a last-minute flight.
John said a hotel is costing the family about $700 per night out of pocket, and a flight back with a competitor airline would cost upwards of $8,000 for all four of them.
Beverley and Martin Newstead, who are also trying to get back to the U.K. after their evening flight out of Toronto was cancelled, said they are facing the reality of extending their vacation indefinitely.
"It's not ideal," Martin said. "It is nice in Canada, but we've been here for two weeks and a bit and are running out of clothes to wear."
Crowds were swarming staff at Toronto and Montreal airports Monday morning in hopes of finding alternative flights and more information on last-minute cancellations.
Among those in Montreal was Luca Pozzoli, who said he's trying to get to Italy but his flight was cancelled shortly after he arrived at the airport. Now, he's trying to find another way to Milan, but he's left with few options.
"Everything is fully booked, so we are considering the possibility to go to Boston ... drive there, and then fly (from) there tomorrow," he said.
In Toronto, Sandra Major, who is trying to get home to the Bahamas after visiting her grandchildren in Canada, said she got a text on her way to the airport that her 2:45 p.m. flight was cancelled.
She said the cancellations "take a toll" on travellers who just want to get home, especially after receiving no other options from airline staff at the airport.
"I came down here for some assistance to see if they could transfer me on another flight, and they said they can't help because they're all shut down," Major said.
The scramble at airports across the country Monday came as the Canada Industrial Relations Board declared the strike by Air Canada's 10,000 flight attendants unlawful and ordered the union's leadership to direct its members to return to work.
"The members of the union’s bargaining unit are directed to resume the performance of their duties immediately and to refrain from engaging in unlawful strike activities," CIRB vice chairperson Jennifer Webster wrote in the decision.
Air Canada's flight attendants went on strike on Saturday but were ordered back to work after federal Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu invoked Section 107 of the Labour Code to ask the board to send the two sides to binding arbitration and order an end to the job action.
However, the Canadian Union of Public Employees, which represents the flight attendants, has ignored the edict and challenged the CIRB order in Federal Court.
Air Canada had intended to restart flights on Sunday, but was prevented by the union's decision to continue its strike. The airline estimated Monday that some 500,000 customers’ flights have been cancelled as a result.
Prime Minister Mark Carney said Monday he's disappointed Air Canada and the union weren't able to reach a deal after eight months of negotiations, and urged both sides to quickly resolve the situation causing chaos for travellers.
He also said that Ottawa recognizes the "critical role that flight attendants play in keeping Canadians and their families safe as they travel," adding that it's "important that they're compensated equitably at all times."
Despite the travel chaos, some passengers expressed sympathy for the striking flight attendants and said they should be treated fairly.
"I think that that's important. If you're here to do your job and you've already started to do your job, then you should get paid for it," said Lisa Smith, who was stuck at Montreal's airport with her sister Nicole Power.
The sisters were visiting San Francisco and were initially told by Air Canada two days ago that their return trip to Newfoundland wouldn't be impacted.
Smith said they were then told on Sunday the flight was cancelled, and Air Canada rebooked them on a competitor flight but they'll be stuck in Montreal until Wednesday.
"Air Canada has rebooked us for free, but they're not compensating any hotels, any transportation to our hotel, no meals," she said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 18, 2025.
Rianna Lim, Miriam Lafontaine and Natasha Baldin, The Canadian Press
