The Air Canada flight strike pauses operations, halting aviation travel, where hundreds of flights are canceled and many passengers get delayed throughout Canadian cities.

Flight attendants at Air Canada have now officially gone on strike, with the flight attendant union, the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), representing its members who haven't been paid wages since the government and the union entered into the negotiations. The strike has already hampered the operations, and Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge flights are all suspended. Jazz Aviation and PAL Airlines remain unaffected, providing all regional services.

By Friday afternoon almost 294 flights were cancelled and up to 500 additional flights are likely to be slashed ahead of the work halt. Air Canada has discouraged its clients from travelling to the airports without assured reservations and it has guaranteed them that those travelling will receive an SMS or an e-mail in the event their flights are affected.

It is a huge blow to the aviation industry of Canada, particularly at the high travelling periods due to the strike. Air Canada said it is sorry to have interrupted the flight but insisted that a planned suspension is superior to an immediate suspension of work that would cause bigger problems for the passengers.

According to aviation analysts, the strike highlights the potential tensions in labor relations among global airlines. The cancellation impacts flight attendants inasmuch as aviation without the attendant is almost impossible, whereas the regional carriers remain uninterrupted.

The best recommendation for travelers currently is to wait and see as the Canadian aviation sector addresses this new labor issue.