The union defied a government order to return to work. The airline said it would delay plans to restart operations from Sunday until Monday evening.

Here in the Bay Area, the Air Canada work stoppage left many summer travelers scrambling to re-book on other airlines after their flights were canceled.

The Canadian carrier said it expects to call off 500 flights by the end of Friday. Air Canada said it was suspending its schedule and trying to get passengers booked with other airlines to limit disruptions.