Air Canada has announced it will be suspending its service to the Caribbean and Mexico for a 90-day period from January 31.

“The decision, designed to achieve an orderly reduction in service and minimise customer impact, was taken in collaboration with the Government of Canada,” the airline said in a brief statement.

The move comes weeks after the Canadian government advised residents and nationals to refrain from travelling internationally due to the presence of the highly infectious omicron variant of coronavirus in many countries.

“We see the situation abroad, and we’re afraid and concerned with what could happen to Canadians who would choose to go abroad in the next few weeks,” said Jean-Yves Duclos, Canada’s health minister, during a news briefing on December 15.

“The situation abroad is already dire in many places, and it’s going to get worse very quickly. So we are afraid of what could happen to them if they chose to travel. And once they have left Canada, there is very little we can do to help them.”

Canada itself is currently dealing with a surge in new COVID-19 infections. In late December 2021, the country crossed 2 million total infections.

Passengers, who are affected by the cancellation, will receive an Air Canada Travel Voucher or Aeroplan points, with a 65 per cent bonus, in accordance with the company’s Refund and Cancellation Policy.

Air Canada currently offers flights to islands including Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, Aruba and Antigua and Barbuda.

It recently halted its service to Bermuda due to a COVID-19 surge caused by the omicron variant.