Mark Nasr, Air Canada's chief operations officer, said that cancellations would go from "several dozens" on Thursday, to some 500 by the end of Friday, to the airline being "completely grounded" at the start of the strike on Saturday, in the absence of a resolution.

Air Canada said it will start cancelling flights on Thursday ahead of a possible strike by its flight attendants, which the airline said will allow for an orderly shutdown of Canada's largest airline.

Canada’s biggest airline is poised to start canceling several dozen flights Thursday ahead of a weekend lockout of flight attendants that threatens to throw travel plans for tens of thousands into chaos during the peak summer season.