Air Canada Cargo has put a modified freighter schedule in place to protect up to 25% of volumes in response to ongoing strike action that has seen Air Canada suspend operations.
The cargo division of Air Canada said in an update on its website that all operations of Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge had been suspended.
"Air Canada Cargo is putting in place a modified freighter schedule to mitigate some of the disruption. This will protect approximately 20-25% of usual volumes, but not to all geographies usually served by Air Canada's passenger network," Air Canada Cargo told Air Cargo News.
The temporary freighter schedule includes capacity to Europe, said Air Canada Cargo in the update on its website. The business has also added a trucking network between freighter destinations and its key hubs.
However, the schedule means that 75% or more of cargo volumes are at risk of disruption and delays.
Last week, Air Canada Cargo confirmed its network was disrupted and said it had temporarily put new bookings for speciality commodities on hold and stated any existing bookings may be delayed or cancelled.
According to data from Planespotters, Air Canada has six 767-300 passenger to freighter (P2F) aircraft in addition to 200 passenger aircraft.
Air Canada said on 13 August that, following notice of the strike led by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), which represents 10,000 flight attendants at Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge, it had begun a phased wind down of most of its operations to be completed before the strike began on 16 August.
The airline had planned to resume flights on Sunday 17 August as workers were anticipated to begin work then after the Canadian government instructed the Canadian Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) to direct the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) to end the industrial action.
However, Air Canada said CUPE "illegally directed its flight attendant members to defy a direction from the Canadian Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) to return to work".
Approximately 240 flights scheduled to operate beginning the afternoon of the 17 August were cancelled, said Air Canada. Typically, the carriers operate 700 flights a day.
The airline said on 17 August that it expected to restart flights on the evening of the 18 August, but in an update on 18 August it confirmed that cancellations now extend to the afternoon of 19 August.
