Air Canada is bracing for one of its most significant labor disruptions in recent history, announcing it expects to cancel several dozen flights by Thursday night and around 500 flights by the end of Friday.

More than 10,000 Air Canada flight attendants who went on strike early Saturday will be ordered to return to work by the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB), according to a Saturday announcement by Canadian Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu.

Canadian government orders arbitration over Air Canada strike. Here's what you need to know. Air Canada estimates that some 130,000 customers will be impacted each day that the suspension continues.