CALGARY — When an airline strike ends, the picket lines may disappear — but the disruption does not.That's been demonstrated by three major labour disputes involving Canada's largest airlines in recent years: WestJet's aircraft mechanics strike in 2024, Air Canada's flight-attendant strike in 2025, and WestJet's flight-attendant strike in 2026.While the circumstances of each dispute were different, all three created the same problem once the labour action ended: how does an airline put its operation back together?For travellers, the answer can mean days of continued cancellations, delays and schedule changes.For airlines, it can mean lost revenue, additional operating costs and a complicated effort to put aircraft, crews and passengers back into position..An airline's schedule operates as a tightly connected system.Aircraft, pilots, flight attendants, maintenance crews, airport gates and passengers all have to be in the right place at the right time. When a labour disruption forces an airline to cancel flights, that system can quickly become unbalanced.An aircraft scheduled to fly from Calgary to Vancouver, for example, may then have been expected to continue to another destination. If the first flight is cancelled, the aircraft may never reach the second airport.The same problem can happen with crews.A flight attendant or pilot may be scheduled to work several flights over multiple days. Once one flight is cancelled, the rest of that employee's schedule can be affected.Research into airline disruption recovery describes aircraft and crew schedules as highly interconnected, meaning airlines must continually reallocate resources following major disruptions.The result is that ending a strike doesn't necessarily mean an airline can simply turn its normal schedule back on..WestJet's latest labour dispute provides the most immediate example.The airline's flight attendants walked off the job during one of Canada's busiest travel periods, disrupting hundreds of flights and leaving the airline with the task of rebuilding its operation once a tentative agreement was reached.Reuters reported that more than 900 flights were cancelled during the dispute.WestJet CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech apologized for the disruption and said teams were working to restore service.“We know this disruption has been frustrating for our guests and WestJetters and we’re sorry for that,” von Hoensbroech said.“Our teams are working hard to restore service and get our guests on their way to their destinations as quickly as possible.”WestJet began gradually restoring its schedule after the agreement was reached, but the airline's network did not immediately return to normal.The reason is straightforward: an airline that has cancelled hundreds of flights cannot necessarily resume those same flights in the same order once the strike ends.Aircraft and crews may be in different cities, passengers may need to be rebooked, and airport resources have to be coordinated again.That creates a ripple effect that can continue well after employees return to work..WestJet has already experienced how complicated that recovery can be.During the airline's 2024 aircraft mechanics strike, WestJet parked 130 of its 180 aircraft at 13 airports across Canada.Eight of those airports did not have WestJet crew bases, meaning crews had to be transported to the aircraft to retrieve them.The aircraft also required standard maintenance and safety checks before returning to service.WestJet said the strike ended on June 30 but warned that returning to normal operations would take time and that further disruptions would be expected over the following week as aircraft and crews were returned to position.By July 2, WestJet's own figures showed 1,137 cancelled flights across the disruption period, affecting more than 100,000 guests. The airline eventually reported a total of 1,171 cancellations related to the labour disruption.The mechanics strike is an especially useful example because the employees involved were directly responsible for maintaining the airline's aircraft. It demonstrated that when a critical group of workers walks off the job, the effects can continue even after an agreement is reached..Air Canada's 2025 flight-attendant strike provides another example — and one that shows how quickly a major airline network can become disrupted.More than 10,000 flight attendants were involved in the strike, which began August 16, 2025. Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge suspended most operations, affecting more than 130,000 passengers per day during the disruption.The strike ended after the union and airline reached a tentative agreement on August 19, but Air Canada did not immediately return to its regular schedule.The airline said some flights could continue to be cancelled for seven to 10 days while its schedule stabilized. Reuters reported that the carrier said a full restoration could require a week or more.That meant passengers could still see cancellations after the strike itself had ended.Air Canada also had to deal with passengers whose original itineraries had been disrupted and who needed refunds, travel credits or rebooking on other airlines.The dispute was particularly costly because it occurred during the peak summer travel period..The WestJet mechanics’ strike provides perhaps the clearest illustration of what happens to an airline’s operation during a major labour disruption.With 130 of its 180 aircraft parked across 13 airports, WestJet was forced to effectively rebuild its network once the strike ended. Some aircraft were sitting at airports where the airline did not have crew bases, creating another logistical challenge.WestJet had to get crews to those locations, retrieve aircraft and complete the necessary inspections and maintenance checks before returning them to service. That process cannot happen instantly.Even after employees return to work, aircraft still need to be inspected, crews need to be repositioned, and flights need to be rescheduled.The same applies to pilots and flight attendants. WestJet has said an average of 1,600 crew members are required each day to operate its network. During the 2024 disruption, many employees were left out of position and could no longer operate their originally assigned schedules.“A strike serves no one, as this negotiation has already been referred to binding arbitration. We know how painful this is for our guests and our people; however, we must start the immediate and safe parking of our aircraft,” Diederik Pen, president of WestJet Airlines and group chief operating officer, said during the 2024 strike.“The scale of this deliberate disruption is devastating and AMFA must be held accountable for their reckless actions. Without immediate intervention, significant disruption will unnecessarily harm tens of thousands of Canadians along with the entire economic ecosystem that depends on our critical air service.”Once operations resume, an airline must determine which crews are available, where they are located and which flights they are legally able to operate. That process is also governed by aviation safety regulations, including mandatory rest periods and maximum duty limits.Simply putting every available employee on overtime is not an option.For example, a crew member who has already reached their maximum duty period cannot simply be assigned another flight because the airline needs to clear its backlog. The airline must instead work within those safety requirements while gradually repositioning crews, aircraft and passengers back into the network..A strike can also continue costing an airline money after employees return.Cancelled flights mean lost ticket revenue and potentially lost ancillary revenue from baggage, seat selection and onboard purchases.Airlines may also face costs associated with:Rebooking passengersProviding refunds or creditsRepositioning aircraftRepositioning crewsMaintaining aircraft during periods of disruptionRestarting operationsDealing with a passenger backlogAircraft sitting on the ground are also not generating the revenue they would normally produce through scheduled flights.Air Canada provides an indication of how significant the financial consequences can become. The 2025 strike forced the carrier to withdraw its financial guidance for the quarter and full year, according to Reuters.The longer an airline's operation remains below normal capacity, the longer those financial consequences can continue, the effects of an airline strike can last days or weeks, but the strike itself doesn't necessarily create a long-term operational problem.For WestJet, the three-day strike created several days of recovery. For Air Canada, the airline warned that recovery could take 7–10 days. But neither airline appears to be carrying ongoing operational disruption from those strikes into 2026.What can linger much longer is the financial and reputational impact. For example, Air Canada withdrew its 2025 financial guidance during the strike, while the disruption affected hundreds of thousands of passengers..The three disputes show that the end of a strike is better understood as the beginning of the recovery phase, rather than an immediate return to normal operations.In 2024, WestJet had to recover from a fleet that had been reduced to roughly 50 aircraft in active operation, with 130 aircraft parked across the country. In 2025, Air Canada faced a massive passenger disruption and warned that it could take seven to 10 days for its schedule to stabilize. In 2026, WestJet again found itself rebuilding its network after hundreds of flight cancellations.For passengers, that can mean checking their flight status even after workers have returned and a labour agreement has been reached.For airlines, it means rebuilding an enormous logistical network — one aircraft, one crew and one passenger at a time.The strike may last hours or days. The ripple effect can last much longer.The Western Standard has reached out to both WestJet and Air Canada but did not receive a response in time of publication.
