TORONTO – A “hot” weekend is expected for those planning to travel with Air Canada: the airline announced today that it will begin a gradual suspension of flights to allow for an “orderly closure” due to a possible flight attendant strike, which could begin on Saturday. The airline says the first flights will be cancelled tomorrow, other flights on Friday, and then the airline will cease all flights by Saturday.

Air Canada also announced that customers whose flights have been cancelled will be notified and entitled to a full refund. The airline adds it has reached agreements with other Canadian and foreign airlines to offer customers alternative travel options, where possible (more information, with updates, here).

The situation escalated in the last hours, when the union representing approximately 10,000 Air Canada flight attendants (CUPE) issued a 72-hour strike notice (meaning the strike is scheduled to begin Saturday).

“We regret the impact a disruption will have on our customers, our stakeholders, and the communities we serve” Air Canada CEO Michael Rousseau said in a statement.

On Tuesday, Air Canada announced it had reached an impasse with the union, as the two sides remained far apart in contract negotiations. The union, in turn, stated that the main sticking points revolve around what it calls flight attendants’ “poverty wages” and unpaid work while planes are not in flight. “Despite our efforts, Air Canada has refused to address our core issues..” the union said. It rejected the airline’s proposal to initiate binding arbitration, saying it would prefer to negotiate an agreement on which its members can then vote.

Last week, flight attendants voted 99.7 percent in favor of granting their union a strike mandate, valid for sixty days. And the strike could materialize as early as Saturday.

In the pic above, workers protest at Toronto Airport (photo from the Air Canada Component of CUPE Facebook page)