MONTREAL, March 23, 2012 /CNW Telbec/ - Although Air Canada ground handling employees at Toronto and Montreal international airports have returned to work following an illegal work stoppage this morning, delays and cancellations of Air Canada-operated flights primarily to Canadian and U.S. destinations are expected for the remainder of the day.

Customers are requested to check the status of their flight at aircanada.com before leaving for the airport.

"We recognize that many customers are being inconvenienced and our focus right now is on getting them to their destination safely, and as quickly as we can," said Duncan Dee, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer.   "We thank our customers for their patience and loyalty as we work doubly hard to restore their confidence in Air Canada.  We would also like to thank those employees who worked tirelessly throughout the night to minimize impact on our customers."

In order to facilitate changes to travel plans, Air Canada has revised its ticketing policy for customers booked on flights until Sunday March 25, 2012. Those customers wishing to rebook until April 30, 2012, may do so free of charge, by using Air Canada's self service rebooking tool at aircanada.com, on their mobile device, or by contacting Air Canada Reservations toll free in Canada and the U.S. at 888-247-2262; TTY: 1-800-361-8071 or Air Canada Reservations worldwide.

To avoid lengthy call centre wait times due to increased call volume, Air Canada urges customers to consult aircanada.com for the latest flight information and to use the airline's online rebooking and check-in tools.