Air Canada flight from Toronto to Tel Aviv cancelled due to 'current developments in the region'

Air Canada cancelled Saturday's flight from Toronto to Tel Aviv "in response to current developments in the region," the airline said.

The flight was originally scheduled to depart Pearson International Airport at 4:25 p.m. On its website, Air Canada said it was cancelled "because of government or regulatory restrictions outside our control."

In a statement, the airline said that it will continue to monitor the situation in the region and adjust their schedule accordingly. Air Canada operates four non-stop, return flights a week from Toronto to Tel Aviv.

The cancellation comes hours after Iran launched dozens of drones and ballistic missiles toward Israel in an unprecedented attack.

Israel's military said its air defences were prepared for the attack, and it was ready to respond.

Earlier this week, Air Canada resumed flights between Canada and Israel after a six-month pause due to the conflict in the Middle East.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau released a statement saying Canada stands with Israel and condemns Iran’s airborne attack.

“After supporting Hamas’ brutal October 7 attack, the Iranian regime’s latest actions will further destabilize the region and make lasting peace more difficult,” Trudeau said.

“These attacks demonstrate yet again the Iranian regime’s disregard for peace and stability in the region. We support Israel’s right to defend itself and its people from these attacks.”

The prime minister added that he was receiving regular updates from senior officials and that he was in contact with its allies.

The federal government has told Canadians to avoid all travel to Israel due to the heightened risk of attacks.

"With a heightened risk of attacks on Israeli territory, the regional security situation remains highly volatile & could escalate without notice," Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly posted on social media Friday.

"Canadians should consider leaving by commercial means."

With files from The Canadian Press and The Associated Press