Air Canada will start cancelling flights on Thursday after a 72-hour strike notice issued by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), representing 10,000 flight attendants.
The strike is slated to kick off at 1:00 a.m. EST on Saturday, following contract discussions that reached an impasse.
The airline stated that it will start flight suspension over the next few days and issued a warning to passengers to avoid going to the airport without a confirmed booking.
CUPE stated that Air Canada refused to address key concerns, including unpaid work and wages.
According to the union, it has bargained in good faith; however, Air Canada accused CUPE of demanding "exorbitant increases" and refused a third-party agreement.
Air Canada runs its operations in 64 countries with 259 aircraft, stating that the disruption may affect 25,000 Canadians, and 130,000 daily passengers during the summer.
However, flights by Air Canada Express will continue their operations as per their schedule.
The airline is currently repositioning crew and aircraft to prepare for an entire shutdown soon, aiming to resume service rapidly after the restart of operations.
Cancelled flight passengers will receive notifications with full refunds. Additionally, Air Canada is working with third-party carriers to offer alternate travel options, though delays are expected.
