OTTAWA, Mar 22 (NNN-XINHUA) – Air Canada is laying off more than 5,000 flight attendants, as the country’s largest airline cuts routes and parks planes, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Wesley Lesosky, who heads the Air Canada component of the Canadian Union of Public Employees, said that, the Canadian carrier is laying off about 3,600 mainline employees, as well as all of Air Canada Rouge’s 1,549 flight attendants.
The temporary layoffs will take effect by Apr. Affected attendants will be able to collect employment insurance and will return once conditions in the industry become normal.
The carrier will suspend the majority of its international and U.S. flights by Mar 31.
