Talks between Air Canada and the union representing its flight attendants are continuing ahead of an imminent strike or lockout. But the carrier is preemptively cancelling flights even before a strike begins.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Air Canada says it has served the company with a 72-hour strike notice , while advising members the airline has issued its own plan to lock out employees early Saturday morning.

The carrier said it will begin cancelling flights as early as Thursday because “sudden or unmanaged work stoppages produce a significantly worse disruption to travel than a planned suspension of flying.”

The airline is planning to pause all flight operations by Saturday.

“This approach will help limit the strike’s impact by allowing as many customers as po

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