Air Canada has suspended flights to Caracas until further notice citing the ongoing civil unrest in Venezuela, and said it could no longer ensure the safety of its operation, according to the Associated Press.
The airline, which operates three return flights weekly between Toronto and Caracas, said the suspension is effective March 18, the AP reported.
In a statement posted on its website Monday, the airline says it can no longer ensure the safety of its operation in Venezuela, which has been roiled by daily street protests over crime and a deteriorating economy for more than a month, according to the AP.
The airline's last flight left Caracas on Sunday, the AP reported. It is offering refunds to those who have purchased tickets for flights after that.
Since early February, students and hardline opposition leaders have been calling supporters onto the streets to protest against Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro and his socialist government, according to the AP.
Airlines have struggled to obtain dollars in exchange for the bolivar currency as a result of long-running delays in Venezuela's 11-year-old currency control system, the AP reported.
Avianca Holdings, operator of Colombia's biggest airline, last week told travel agents it will cut flights between the countries' capitals to one a day from three as of March 20, according to the AP.
German airline Lufthansa said earlier in the month that its 2013 financial results took a double-digit million euro hit from payment issues in Venezuela, the AP reported.
Air Canada said on Monday that it will continue to monitor the situation in Venezuela and will consider resuming operations on the route once it is satisfied that the situation has stabilized, according to the AP.
