The airline, which transports about 130,000 passengers daily, had said it would gradually wind down operations ahead of the possible strike

Toronto – Air Canada suspended operations as more than 10,000 Air Canada flight attendants went on strike early Saturday after a deadline to reach a deal passed, leaving travelers around the world stranded and scrambling during the peak summer travel season.

Air Canada cancelled hundreds of flights Saturday as it began shutting down operations in response to a strike by flight attendants -- triggering summer travel chaos for its 130,000 daily passengers.