India, Aug. 16 -- Air Canada cancelled hundreds of flights on Friday, impacting tens of thousands of passengers including many flying to and from India, as it responded to a strike by its flight attendants.

The airline announced it had "suspended all operations" for Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge flights following the strike by its 10,000 flight attendants represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees. The strike began early on Saturday.

Among the flights impacted by cancellations were direct flights from Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal to New Delhi, as well as those from Calgary with a stopover in London.

With the strike action slated to begin on Saturday, Air Canada announced on Friday evening that 623 flights had been cance...