Airlines suspend flights as Middle East tensions rise
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
Passengers waiting at Rafik Hariri International Airport in Beirut after their flights were delayed or cancelled on July 29.
PHOTO: EPA-EFE
Follow topic:
LONDON - Concerns over a wider conflict in the Middle East have prompted international airlines to suspend flights to the region or to avoid affected air space.
On Aug 12, several airlines, including Lufthansa of Germany, Swiss Air, Air France and its subsidiary Transavia France extended flight suspensions to the region. On Aug 13, Cathay Pacific cancelled all flights to Tel Aviv until March 2025.
Below are some of the airlines that have adjusted services to and from the region:
Aegean Airlines
The Greek airline cancelled all its flights to and from Beirut, Amman and Tel Aviv until Aug 19.
Air Algerie
The Algerian airline temporarily suspended flights to and from Lebanon until further notice.
airBaltic
Latvia’s airBaltic cancelled all flights to and from Tel Aviv until Aug 18.
Air India
The Indian flag carrier suspended scheduled flights to and from Tel Aviv until further notice.
Air France-KLM
Air France extended the suspension of flights between Paris and Beirut until Aug 14, according to a statement on its website.
Its Dutch arm KLM cancelled all its flights to and from Tel Aviv from early in August until Oct 26.
Low-cost unit Transavia cancelled flights to and from Tel Aviv until March 31, 2025.
Cathay Pacific
Hong Kong based Cathay Pacific cancelled all flights to Tel Aviv until March 27, 2025.
Delta Air Lines
The US carrier has extended a suspension of flights between New York and Tel Aviv until Aug 31.
EasyJet
The UK budget airline stopped flying to and from Tel Aviv in April and will resume flights on March 30, 2025, a spokesman said.
Finnair
The Finnish airline continues to not use Iranian airspace to route its flights, it said in a statement on its website updated on Aug. 1. This may extend flight time to and from Doha.
ITA Airways
Italy’s ITA Airways has extended the suspension of its flights to and from Tel Aviv through Aug 15, it wrote on its official X account.
Lufthansa
The German airline has extended its avoidance of Iranian and Iraqi airspace and said it would suspend flights to and from Tel Aviv, Tehran, Beirut, Amman and the Iraqi city of Erbil through Aug 21.
Swiss Air Lines, a part of Lufthansa Group, extended the suspension of flights to and from Tel Aviv and Beirut until Aug 21, and will avoid airspace over Israel, Iran and Iraq until then.
Austrian Airlines, also a unit of Lufthansa, suspended all flights to Amman, Beirut, Erbil, Teheran and Tel Aviv up to and including Aug 21, according to a statement on its website.
Ryanair
Europe’s biggest budget airline cancelled flights to and from Tel Aviv until Aug 26 citing “operational restrictions”.
Sunexpress
SunExpress Airlines, a joint venture between Turkish Airlines and Lufthansa, cancelled all flights to Beirut until Aug 14.
Singapore Airlines
The airline stopped flying over Iranian airspace
Tarom
Romania’s flag carrier extended the suspension of flights to Tel Aviv, Amman and Beirut until Aug 16.
United Airlines
The Chicago-based airline suspended flights to Tel Aviv for the foreseeable future. It had suspended daily service between Newark, New Jersey and Tel Aviv on July 31, citing security reasons.
Vueling
Spanish low-cost airline Vueling, owned by IAG, cancelled all its flights to Tel Aviv and Amman until Oct 26.
Lebanese airspace alerts
Britain advised UK airlines not to enter Lebanese airspace from Aug 8 until Nov 4 citing “potential risk to aviation from military activity”. REUTERS
