Air Canada will start suspending flights on Thursday after its unionized flight attendants served a notice to strike early Wednesday morning.

The airline on Wednesday said it will begin a phased winding down of most of its operations over the next three days, with the first flights to be cancelled on Thursday, more on Friday and a complete cessation of flying by Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge on Saturday.

Just before 1 a.m. on Wednesday, the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), which represents 10,000 flight attendants at Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge, gave the airline notice that it intends to begin a strike.

“Air Canada has been forced into this decision to lock out its flight attendants and regrets the impact the suspension of operations will have on customers as a result of the union’s issuance of a strike notice during such a heavy travel period,” the company said in a release.

Air Canada said customers whose flights are cancelled will be notified and can obtain a full refund. It also said customers without confirmed flights should not go to the airport.

The carrier said a controlled wind down allows it to advise customers in advance, reducing the chance of customers being stranded and giving the airline and customers time to make alternative travel arrangements.

“We regret the impact a disruption will have on our customers, our stakeholders and the communities we serve,” chief executive Michael Rousseau said in a statement. “As we have seen elsewhere in our industry with other labour disruptions, unplanned or uncontrolled shutdowns, such as we are now at risk of through a strike, can create chaos for travellers that is far, far worse.”

Air Canada said an unplanned shutdown is also a major risk for the company and its other employees. But it also said that by optimally positioning aircraft and crews ahead of a possible stoppage, it will be able to provide required routine maintenance and more quickly restore regular service.

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The airline operates globally to approximately 65 countries on six continents with a fleet of 259 aircraft.

Air Canada Express flights operated by Jazz and PAL Airlines, which carry about 20 per cent of Air Canada’s daily customers, will continue to operate as normal.