The Air Canada flight attendants strike started on August 16, 2025, and was initially indefinite. Expert predictions ranged from 3-7 days in optimistic scenarios to 2-4 weeks if there was a prolonged deadlock. The strike ended after about four days when the Canadian government imposed binding arbitration and a return-to-work order was issued, although the union initially defied it. Flight operations began to resume on August 19, but Air Canada warned that full restoration of normal scheduling and operations could take over a week due to crew repositioning and maintenance checks. Customers should therefore expect several days of disruption even after the strike ended.

In summary:

• The strike lasted about four days.
• Flights started resuming immediately after a government-mandated return-to-work order.
• Full normal operations may take a week or more to recover.
• The strike caused widespread cancellations and travel disruptions.

This timeline and impact reflect the strike's abrupt start and relatively quick resolution under government intervention, with lingering delays as the airline restabilized its operations.