Air Canada said it will resume flying on Sunday after the government ordered an end to a strike by 10,000 flight attendants that effectively shut down the country's largest airline and snarled summer travel.

The Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) "directed Air Canada to resume airline operations and for all Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge flight attendants to resume their duties by 14:00 EDT on August 17, 2025," the airline said in a statement.

It added that it plans to resume flights on Sunday evening, while warning it would take "several days before its operations return to normal," with some routes still set to be cancelled over the next seven to 10 days.

Air Canada flight attendants walked off the job early Saturday over a wage dispute.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), which is representing the workers, had previously said its members would remain on strike until the government formally issued an order that they return to work.

In addition to wage increases, the union sought to address uncompensated ground work, including during the boarding process.

Air Canada has 130,000 daily passengers and flies directly to 180 cities worldwide. (AFP)