Air Canada says it will begin cancelling flights starting Thursday to allow an orderly shutdown of operations with a complete cessation of flights for the country’s largest airline by Saturday as it faces a potential work stoppage by its flight attendants.

Air Canada is preparing to halt most of its flights after its flight attendants' union served a 72-hour strike notice on Wednesday, warning of a walkout as contract talks over a pay deal stall.

Air Canada is on a 72-hour countdown to a potential network shutdown. It follows a collapse in talks with its main flight attendant union, which