The announcement comes in light of a decision by the Canadian government on Tuesday to include Egypt, Nigeria, and Malawi on its list of countries with entry prohibitions over fears of the new coronavirus variant Omicron.

In a statement, EgyptAir urged its customers who were scheduled to travel to or from Toronto to change their flight times by contacting customer service via phone on 1717 from inside Egypt.

Customers can also contact the airline’s offices in Egypt or abroad or contact their tour agents, EgyptAir said.

In a statement on Tuesday, the Canadian government said that the decision to expand its entry prohibition list is “based on data from ongoing surveillance efforts and the latest public health advice.”

"Foreign nationals who have transited or stayed in these 10 countries cannot enter Canada if they have been in those countries in the last two weeks," Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos told a press conference reported by the AFP.

Late in November, the World Health Organisation (WHO) classed Omicron, which reportedly first emerged in southern Africa, a variant “of concern.”

The Canadian entry prohibition list now includes also South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Eswatini, Malawi, and Nigeria.

Canada is the first country to block Egyptian flights after Cairo’s official confirmation on Tuesday that no cases of the new variant have been detected in the country.

Many countries around the world have banned travel from a number of countries in southern Africa, with scientists still studying the potential effect of the new variant on vaccine efficiency.

On Sunday, the WHO urged countries not to impose flight bans on southern African nations due to concerns over Omicron, saying this would “place a heavy burden on lives and livelihoods.”