More than 10,000 Air Canada flight attendants are due to go on strike in the early hours of Saturday over a pay dispute, bringing travel chaos to hundreds of thousands of customers at the height of the summer vacation season.

The airline says it has begun canceling flights as it prepares for a shutdown.

Why It Matters

Air Canada has more than 40,000 employees, with more than 250 aircraft traveling to 200 destinations in over 65 countries.

The flight attendants' strike will affect more than 130,000 customers a day—including 25,000 Canadians daily who are attempting to come home from abroad—and now at risk of being stranded, the airline said.

The strike comes as more Canadians are avoiding the United States this year because of diplomatic tensions and taking vacations at home, putting e

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