Airlines Extend Flight Suspensions to Israel and Lebanon Amid Soaring Tensions
Several airlines have extended their suspension of flights to and from Israel and Lebanon due to escalating tensions in the volatile Middle East. This action follows Iran’s missile attacks on Israel. Despite the reopening of Israeli airspace, flights are expected to resume in the next hour.
The region saw a flare-up in tensions after Israel launched a limited ground operation in Lebanon to target Hezbollah strongholds. This operation occurred after the killing of Hassan Nasrallah, the chief of the Iran-backed group, in an airstrike last week.
Top airlines, including Lufthansa, KLM, Emirates, and Swiss, announced their suspension of flights to and from Israel, Iran, and Lebanon, intensifying the crisis in the already strife-ridden area.
Dutch airline KLM stated it has suspended flights to Tel Aviv until the end of the year, citing the situation in the region. A spokeswoman informed AFP that KLM had previously announced a suspension of all flights to Israel until October 26.
German airline Lufthansa reported it would suspend flights to Beirut until November 30, to Tel Aviv until October 31, and to Tehran until October 14. The airline apologized for the inconvenience to passengers.
