A crippling strike by Air Canada flight attendants that grounded thousands of flights over wages and unpaid labor is the latest blow to the airline industry's compensation system that does not fully pay cabin crews for their hours at work.

Air Canada has been forced to cancel nearly 2,600 flights as striking flight attendants refuse to return to work.

On Thursday, Air Canada announced it will cover "reasonable" expenses for hotels, meals and transport costs incurred by passengers who endured flight delays and cancellations during the recent strike by the airline's flight attendants.

Canada's government stepped in four times to aid seven companies last year, stopping strikes using an obscure Labour Code provision. A similar decree on Sunday failed, however, as Air Canada's flight attendants refused to obey and stayed on strike for three days.

The Montreal-based carrier said it expects to “deliver close to its full network schedule” by Friday. Its previous guidance indicated it would take seven to 10 days to return to full capacity.

El sindicato de 10.000 asistentes de vuelo en huelga de Air Canada y la aerolínea reanudaron las conversaciones el lunes por la noche por primera vez desde

Air Canada on Monday withdrew its third quarter and full-year earnings guidance due to a disruption in operations after its flight attendants went on strike.