Air Canada, the country’s largest airline, started suspending flights on Thursday morning ahead of a potential strike by its flight attendants.Hundreds of flights are expected to be cancelled by the end of the week if the flight attendants walk off their jobs as expected.Air Canada and the flight attendants’ union have struggled to agree upon a deal that would increase compensation for the airline workers.Here is what we know about the labour dispute and its potential consequences:What is happening to Air Canada?The Montreal-based airline has reached an impasse with the union representing more than 10,500 flight attendants in a dispute over compensation, despite eight months of negotiations. Both the company and the union have issued notices that disruptions to the airline’s services will begin on Saturday.What services will be affected, and when?Air Canada said it will reduce flights gradually over three days, starting with dozens of cancellations on Thursday and about 500 more by Friday evening. By 1am Toronto time (05:00 GMT) on Saturday, all flights will be halted.Cargo services will also be affected, but Air Canada Express regional flights will operate as usual, as they rely on contracts with other airlines.However, these partners handle only about 20 percent of Air Canada’s daily passengers. Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge, a subsidiary that offers low-cost flights, carry roughly 130,000 passengers a day.In response to the walkout anticipated for early Saturday, Air Canada has announced its own “locko …
