Air Canada's mid-August strike. All flights grounded. A first since 1985.

Hundreds of flights have been canceled and suspended, affecting approximately 130,000 passengers. The mid-August airline strike comes from afar, from the land of maple, where Air Canada, the national airline, has officially been on strike since this morning—since 1 a.m. Montreal time, although the news had already leaked yesterday.

For the overseas carrier, this is the first stoppage called by unions since 1985. "We strongly advise customers not to go to the airport," the airline wrote in a statement.

The reasons for the stop

The protest, which involves approximately 10,000 stewards and hostesses worldwide, stems from the stalled contract negotiations between the company and their social partners. In addition to a pay raise, employees and unions are demanding compensation for hours worked on the ground, including during boarding. Demonstrations and protests are planned for today at Canadian airports.

The disruption, anticipated yesterday, prompted the carrier to cancel 300 flights. In fact, the Canadian Civil Service Union had announced the strike on Wednesday. The strike will affect 130,000 passengers per day; today, 700 flights have been canceled—the total number of scheduled flights.

Air Canada is a member of the Star Alliance, which includes Lufthansa but not yet ITA. It connects Montreal directly with Milan, Naples, Rome, and Venice, the latter two also with Toronto. In total, the Canadian flag carrier serves 180 cities worldwide.