The union representing 10,000 flight attendants for Canada's largest airline issued a 72-hour strike notice on Wednesday.

Air Canada said on Thursday it expects to cancel several dozen flights by day's end and around 500 flights by the end of Friday affecting 100,0000 passengers, ahead of a planned Saturday strike by its unionized flight attendants.

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.