MONTREAL: Air Canada’s fleet of hundreds of planes remained grounded on Monday morning after striking flight attendants refused a government-backed order to get back to work and called on the airline to return to the bargaining table. The carrier, which normally carries 130,000 people daily and is part of the global Star Alliance of airlines, had planned to start ramping up operations on Sunday evening, after a labor relations board ordered the union to return to work and start binding arbitration.

The prospect of a systemwide work stoppage by Air Canada's unionized flight attendants loomed large on Friday with a strike deadline just hours away.

Talks between the union representing 10,000 flight attendants and the carrier stalled over demands for higher wages.