Air Canada said it will start cancelling flights on Thursday ahead of a possible strike by its flight attendants, which the airline said will allow for an orderly shutdown of Canada's largest airline.

Over 10,000 Air Canada flight attendants plan to strike on Saturday over stalled contract talks, threatening major travel disruptions across Canada.

Under Canada's Airline Passenger Protection Regulations (APPR), customers are not eligible for compensation for delayed or cancelled flights, meals, hotels or other incidental expenses during labour disruptions over and above re-booking them on the next flight if all their travel takes place in Canada.