Air Canada has announced that it will resume operations on Sunday following a government directive that called for an end to the cabin crew strike that grounded hundreds of flights, causing cancellations affecting tens of thousands passengers.

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.

Flight attendants are demanding better wages and compensation for unpaid work. Currently, Air Canada only compensates flight attendants for the time they are in the air, but its attendants are seeking pay for the work they do before take-off and after landing, too.

The Canadian carrier said it expects to call off 500 flights by the end of Friday. Air Canada said it was suspending its schedule and trying to get passengers booked with other airlines to limit disruptions.

The Canadian government has urged Air Canada and its flight attendants' union to restart contract negotiations, with a threatened work stoppage that could disrupt travel for tens of thousands just hours away unless there is a resolution to the dispute.

Air Canada wants to reinforce the gender wage gap by forcing Air Canada flight attendants – 70% of whom identify as women – to accept a wage offer less than one-third what Air Canada offered its pilots less than a year ago.