Air Canada suspended all mainline and Air Canada Rouge flights after roughly 10,000 cabin crew walked off the job at 00:58 ET on Saturday, following a 72-hour strike notice and last-ditch talks that failed to produce a deal. The action, led by the Canadian Union of Public Employees, is the first strike by the carrier’s flight attendants since 1985. The shutdown caps days of escalating disruptions. The Montreal-based airline had already cancelled 623 flights by late Friday and expects to ground about 700 on Saturday, affecting an estimated 130,000 travellers each day at the height of the summer season. Regional services operated by Jazz and PAL Airlines continue to fly, but the company is urging customers without confirmed re-bookings to stay away from airports. Pay remains the core dispute. Attendants are compensated only when aircraft are moving and want remuneration for time spent on the ground and during boarding. Air Canada offered a 38 % increase in total compensation over four years, including a 25 % raise in the first year, and has asked the federal government to order binding arbitration. The union rejected arbitration, saying the proposal lags inflation and industry norms, and is pressing for a negotiated settlement.