The union representing 10,500 Air Canada flight attendants has announced plans to reject the airline's request for binding arbitration. The decision comes as the union prepares for a potential strike, with a deadline set for noon today to respond to the federal jobs minister's request. Hugh Pouliot, a spokesperson for the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), stated, "We will be rejecting the proposal. We will not surrender our members’ bargaining rights under any circumstances."

The union is expected to release polling data today indicating that a majority of Canadians support the flight attendants and prefer the federal government to refrain from intervening, even if it leads to travel disruptions. Pouliot criticized Air Canada for not responding to CUPE's last offer made on Tuesday, suggesting that the airline is more focused on job action than on negotiations.

In anticipation of the strike, Air Canada began canceling flights on Thursday night, with plans to cancel 500 flights on Friday, affecting approximately 100,000 travelers. Mark Nasr, Air Canada's executive vice president and chief operating officer, stated that the cancellations would impact around 130,000 customers daily, including 25,000 Canadians who may be stranded abroad. He emphasized the need for a gradual shutdown, saying, "Air Canada is simply not the kind of system that we can start or stop at the push of a button. So in order to have a safe and orderly wind down, we need to begin now."

The initial cancellations primarily affected long-haul international flights scheduled for Thursday night. The airline plans to continue canceling flights daily after Saturday as they work to resolve the labor dispute. Arielle Meloul-Wechsler, the airline's chief human resources officer, noted that flight cancellations would be announced each morning at 8 a.m. for the following day.

As the situation develops, travelers affected by cancellations will receive notifications via text and email. They will be offered a full refund or the option to be booked on another airline to complete their journey. If rebooking is not possible, a refund will be provided.