Air Canada strike to disrupt flights to and from Cayman

The looming strike by Air Canada’s 10,000 flight attendants will likely disrupt one of Cayman’s key air links to Canada next week.

Air Canada, which operates direct flights between Grand Cayman and Toronto on Mondays and Thursdays, confirmed it will begin winding down most operations over the next three days, following a strike notice from the Canadian Union of Public Employees or CUPE. The airline says it will completely cease flights from Saturday until a deal is reached.

Mindy Scott-Hennings, General Manager of Cayman Travel Services, said her team began contacting clients immediately after receiving the statutory 72-hour notice from the airline.

“Air Canada has issued waivers to facilitate rebooking without penalty for future flights or dates,” she said. “With this current strike window, the Monday flight will be affected. Those flying Thursday 14 August will not be impacted.”

However, the impacts appear to be extending beyond the strike window. One local resident whose sister is currently visiting Cayman with her family said they had planned to fly back to Canada next Thursday on Air Canada, but have already received notice that their flight is cancelled.

Uncertainty around flights

Despite the airline’s statement suggesting Monday’s flight AC 1831 will not operate, Hennings clarified that flight has yet to be officially cancelled in their system. For now, the “goodwill policy” remains in place, allowing passengers to make changes without penalties.

According to the statement, travellers booked between 15–18 August can rebook to dates between 21 August and 12 September at no cost, or cancel for a travel credit or refund. Air Canada warned that rebooking will be challenging during the peak summer season, with limited availability on partner airlines.

If Monday’s flight is officially cancelled within 48 hours of departure, Hennings advised that the airline’s formal flight disruption policy will apply. This would allow affected passengers to rebook travel through 30 September 2025, keep their original length of stay or request a refund. In some cases, travellers can be accommodated on WestJet-operated flights within 72 hours of their original booking.

“WestJet currently has a flight on Tuesday, 19 August that we will be able to rebook people on,” Hennings said.

Efforts to contact Air Canada were not successful when calls to its dedicated strike information line resulted in an automated message saying that wait times were too long for the call to go through.

While the Grand Cayman to Toronto flight on Thursday, 14 August flight is currently unaffected, travellers with onward connections within Canada or to the US may face disruptions due to the strike.

The dispute stems from union demands for higher wages, boarding pay and cost-of-living increases. Air Canada says it offered a 38% compensation boost over four years, but negotiations have so far failed.

For now, Cayman travellers relying on flights to Canada are urged to check their itineraries and make contingency plans – especially those travelling next week.